South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-05-04
REPORT OF CHAMBER
DIRECTORS FAVORS
DISQUALIFICATION
Recommend Special Assembly
Session TO Provide For
County Building.

Recommendations that immediate
steps be taken for a special session
OF the Indiana general assembly 70
provide adequate laws by which suf-
fcient funds may be raised 20 erect
a St. Joseph county hospital and
that South Bend citizens contribute
20 the enlargement OF the private
hospitals so that engagements may
be made, are contained In report
OF the Chamber Of Commerce hos
pitaI committee submitted Monday
afternoon to the board Of directors
OF the chamber
The recommendation are based
on an analysis of the hospital sit
uation in the county, and a review
OF the recent referendum taken
throughout the county in an effort
10 determine the desire Of the pub
lie as TO the solution Of the problem.
The committee asks that il be dis
charged, and that another COM
mittee be appointed 10 work for a
special session Of the general as
sembly in order 10 have enacted a
law by which the necessary funds
for the erection Of a county hos
pital may be obtained.
Referendum Report.
The report points out that in the
referendum. 2.467 men and women
registered IN favor OF the erection
OF a county hospital, and that Col
favored the enlargement Of the
present hospitals.
II is also pointed out in the re-
port the difficulty that Will be en-
cOuntered in securing sufficient
funds 10 erect a county hospital. n
points 20 the restrictions under the
present statutes which provide that
tie county commissioners can issue
bonds for this purpose not u eX-
cee0 100000 IL is shown that
such q sum wOuli be wholly made
quate for the erection of a county
hospital, and il Is recommended
that a special session Of the legisla-
ture be called to give financial
powers 20 the county commissioners.
The committee also urges that
citizens generally contribute 70 the
present hospitals 10 aid them IN
their enlargement programs.
Hospital Statistics.
The report shows that during the
past year 4,499 patients were cared
for by the three hospitals Of the
county at a total cost Of S132,4343S.
The report shows that there are a
total Of 215 beds in the three hos
pitals. OF this number Epworth
hospital has 20 beds. st. Joseph hos
pitai So and St Joseph hospital
aiishawaka, 90 beds. According TO
the report or the committee. there
Is room for 20 additional beds ct
the MIshawalEa hospital. but none
at the other two Institutions
OF the total number OF hospital
patients cared for during 1919. f,122
were at EpwOrth. 965 at St Joseph
aud 421 at the Mishawaka hos
Iital. OF the SIS charity patients
cared for during the year, 1c5 were
at Epworth. 20C at St Joseph and
63 a. the NJ suawaka St IoseDn
fCspital. The totai cost of operating
tho II rec private hospitals during
tho year were divided as follows:
ELwOrth. S7t.61A3S; St Josap D..
$50 600. and St. Joseph. Nishawlxa.
$3O.S20.
The report shows that there IS O.
scarcity OF nurses at the three NJ s.
piiuis. The report OF the COmrli-tee
IS fased on informant 1btsaincI
through its invCst iEatiOn, extending
Owe; a period o sey eral months.
The board ~ directors viii go
over the co n if5Ce s repo. e. and
latcr VIII make fits lscommen iations
90 the Chamber Of Commerce mem
bership.