Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-02-06
HOSPITAL BOARD MAY
ASK FOR ANOTHER
BOND ISSUE SOON

\ STATEMENT FROM BOARD OF
i TRUSTEES.
In December 1917, petitions were
circulated and signed by more than
the required number of tax payers in
Audrain County asking the County
Court to call special election to vote
a one half mill tax to be used in the
/ purchasing site and to build and
equip a modern up-to-date Hospital
/ building and one that would meet the
needs of the county for twenty years.
The election was held and the bond
! issue carried eight to one. The d
mount derived from the one half mill
tax was $75,000.00 and would have
/ been sufficient if delays had not come
in letting the contract and in the
meantime if materials had not advan-
ced as they did
Audrain being the first county in
/ the state holding an election under the
new law passed in 1917 it was neces-
sary to have the constitutionality of
the law passed upon by the Supreme
/ Court. For weeks we waited their de
| cision and was passed on favorable.
When we made an attempt to sell the
bonds, we found we would have to OBJ
tain permit from the Government to
sell bonds to erect a hospital build
/ ing This was obtained after another
delay. A permit had to be gotten
from the government for the brick,
steel, concrete elevator and other man
ufactors, which caused a long delay
1 and when it was gotten we found that
almost year had passed since the
/ petitions were circulated asking for
/ the election. Labor had advanced, ma
| terIal had advanced from 25 percent to
rs per cent and we found that it would
be impossible to complete the building
I with the amount of money to be de-
rived from the bond issue The out
side walls could be put up, and by
leaving a large part of the building
unfinished and instead Of using the
best of plumbing by cutting out a part
of it and reducing the quality to Il
grade not at all desirable and to one
that would only stand for a few years,
leaving the floors concrete, instead of
covering them and eliminating all or
a greater part of, the equipment fig
ured on was about all we could expect
to do
We believe the citizens of Audrain
County are interested in the Hospital
and want it completed in the best man
ncr possible We believe they want
Hospital building that will be adc-
quate for years to come and one thst
will be an ornament to the county
and OH, we'll enough equipped to meat
the demands from the most exacting
Of our county and surrounding coun-
ties We do not believe there are many
tan payers in Audrain County that
realize they paid hospital tax in
1918, the amount is so trifiing that it IS
not to be thought of in comparison
with the good such an institution will
do We believe the citizens of the
county will endorse the move contem-
plated to raise an additional amount
to complete the building as it SHOULD
be and do it at once for it can be done
cheaper while the laborers and mach
inery are on the ground and while the
work c;f all go up together. Some
may say why not reduce the size OF
the building That would be impos-
sible and especially so if we build one
that will take care of the patronage.
1t requires. as great an expenditure
for operating rooms, nurse quarters,
storage rooms, dining rooms, furnace
room etc, for a ten bed hospital as it
does foI" fifty bed hospital, the extra
Il cost comes from the additional beds
added to the regular equipment. Some
may say we should cut down on the
size of the building but it is plain to
be seen why that cannot be done in
this case unless the number of patient
rooms are cut down, which would rem
der the institution impracticable. One
fourth mill will probably be asked for
which will be sufficient amount to
complete building and we feel sure
no one will object to this small tax IN
order that we may finish your build
ing in way that you will be proud
of for many years to come.
u0CDITAJ TDITSTEEc