Evening journal., 1919-10-16
CITY MUST CARE
FOR The SICK POOR
Continued from First Page.

startling. III lS also the view OF lllt
councilmen that something must be
done promptly TO provide properly FOR
the unfortunate, but deserving and
worthy poor. VINO fall IN or suffer ins
jury.
Mr.. Bayard explained his visit TO
Council last night by saying he had
noted criticism of the hospital which
he considered as much undeseryed as
il was erroneous and he desired 90 cor
rect it. lie first quoted figures 10 show
the large increase in the past several
years in the cost OF caring for patients.
"The cost OF food has gone up as YOU
all know he said, but il is not i'm it
with the jump i'm prices of drugs and
other necessaries for care Of the sick
and injured"
In 1911 Mr. Bayard continued, the
cost per day per patient was s2ii. Last
year il had risen TO S29S. Now it Is
s3.2S. These estimates are based upon
accurate records kept at the institution.
To illustrate how the cost In Whining
ton had been held down DE quoted Zig
ures from New York showing that it
now costs $3.50 i'm that city each day
TO care for a free patient
In 1917 the city appropriated $1,000
for eare Of poor patients in 1918. $1,000
and this year. 5000. In addition 90
this sum, $500 is appropriated by the
Levy Court Mr. Bayard said the city
was providing beds for lust about seven
and one-half patients per day per year.
The actual need is for about 80 or 32
beds Up lO the present Delaware Hos
piial has been making up This differ
ence from ils own funds. hut % has a
funded debt of $4,000 and has run 500
000 behind this year IN addition
I'm view of these conditions Della
ware Hospital must curiau iis free
treatment Of the poor said Mr. Bay
ard 1T is a sad and a most regrettable
fact. but what is ii going TO do? II
can not continue 90 run behind 10 can
no longer stand the strain. There rs
no municipal hospital here and Della
ware. the Homeopathic and the Phy-
slcans' and Surgeons must care Tor oll
municipal cases. OF which Delaware
gels the greater number
Mr. Bayard said a false impression
was held by many taxpayers that the
upkeep OF the free beds In Delaware
Hospital was paid FOR by ihe fund OF
s3OOO0O publicly subscribed some years
ago. The figures Of this subscription,
however. showed The fallacy of this as
less than two per cent of the people
OF the city subscribed to the fund.
"The hospital now Is running about
70 free beds" continued Mr. Bayard,
"but must cut the number 10 10 or
i6 which is the most 10 can maintain
out OF the city's appropriation and the
income from the hospitals endowment
fund. We shall have 90 treat as many
free patients as we can AFFORD ana men
reduce the number treated 10 Keep
within our means
Mr.. Bayards statement aroused frank
expressions Of amaZemcnt nnd surprise
on the part Of the Councilmen, who
piled him with questions, which only
served 10 emphasize the seriousness OF
mo conditions confronting the hospital
management. Mr. Bayard laid special
stress upon the fact that once pa
iient is admitted 90 the hospital ne or
She Is kept until cured. "Ihat eN-
plains why patients or their FRIENDS
and relatives accompanying them are
asked at the time OF their Application
for admission whether they are able %
pay for treatment, and II so, now
much they acn afford.
"The hospital has no desire 10 he
mean: certainly It never has had de-
sire TO make money. It's sole purpose
fs 20 alleviate human suffering and do
duty by the community. The question
now is the duty Of the community by
the hospital
Mr.. Bayard Was asked II he believed
the establishment OF a municipal hos
pital would be Of benefit.
yes and no." he responded. IT OF
course. would be Of benefit in pro
viding care for a greater number Of pa
tenth. but they would get no better
care than the patients are now rcceiN-
ing at Delaware. To erect such a mu-
nlcipal hospital would take at least
s325 900. and it would cost $4,000 a
year TO maintain It properly
Roughly estimating that it costs
about So IA day at the lowest 70 main
tain a free bed and the expenses OF
free treatment. and allowing that y
such beds are needed, Mr. Bayard flg-
ured that the total sum needed to re-
lieve the situation as 10 now stands
would be about 500 day, or s35OiO a
year.
This ls indeed a serious question,
with winter coming on remarked
Councilman Murray
other Councilmen expressed similar
views and thanked Mr.. Bayhrd for so
clearly laying the situation before
them. Mr.. BSSard expressed a wish
that the Councilmen would visit the
hospital and sec exactly what Is being
done. This suggestion met with imme-
diate response and lt was unanimously
voted 10 visit the Institution next sun