New-York tribune., 1921-01-08
Senators Block
Hospital Here
For War Insane
Appropriations Committee
Defeats Resolution for
Federal Cooperation
With New York in Plan
Declare Rental Too High
100000 Annually Asked
Until the Bill Was Paid;
Veterans i'm Poorhouses


WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.-Delay of at
least year in the proper housing Of
soldiers driven insane during the war
and now scattered through approx
mately thirty-nine hospitals and poor
houses in New York State, was made
almost certain by the action of the
Senate Appropriations Committee to-
day.
BY an overwhelming vote the COM
mttee killed the resolution authoriz-
ing Federal cooperation with New
York State in a thousand bed hospital
planned for the old Creedmore rife
range site in Queens County, greater
New York
This means that the appropriation
of s3,O0O,OOO made by the New York
Legislature last session for the con-
.struction Of this hospital never will be
utilized, and that the state will not
build the hospital. The appropriation
was made at the recommendation of
Governor Smith, and provided that
after the state had build the hospital
the Federal government should rent it
for ten years, at an annual rental Of 10
per cent of its cost, or S300000.
The advantage to the state of this
plan was that at the end of ten years
the Federal government would have
repaid the cost of the hospital and
the state would then have the institu-
ton for state purposes. The advan
tagc to the Federal government was
that it obtained a site free for its
hospital, while the Treasury was not
subjected to the drain of the entire
cost of the hospital and site. The site
is 200 acres within the boundaries Of
greater New York.
Ten Per Cent Rental Too Much
The committee, however. took the
position that 10 per cent Of the cost
was an cXtravagant rental. and rather
favored the general idea Of the govern
ment building its own hospitals. There
is now before the committee q request
for S35 100000 Of appropriations for
hospital construction for the World
! War veterans.
Before the House Commerce Conn
mittee to-day several witnesses tcs-
titled regarding the failure Of the gov
ernment to care for the insane SOL
diers DR.. Thomas W. Salmon, of the
Rockefeller Foundation. told the COM
mittee that nothing had been spent by
the country on treating the insane.
Other witnesses included f. ". Cal
braith. national commander Of the
American Legion, and DR.. II. A. Pat
with the National tuberculosis Asso-
citation. All urged the necessity OF
providing for the wars insane.
There are 5,100 veterans wholly OF
partially insane now in hospitals scat
tered through the country, for whose
care the government is paying state
county and local institutions. In ad-
ditiou it is estimated that there are
more than 1000 additional World War
veterans who need treatment because
/ of mental conditions brought about
by their experience in the war.
Dislike to Set Precedent
c. Cholomey Jones. director Of the
! Bureau OF War Risk Insurance. and
Surgeon General Cum mings, Of the
army, both appeared before the APP
preparations Committee and urged
| their appropriation. but the committee
operating with New York State on the
question:.
that th. act Of the Now York Legis-
lature provided that New York veterans
should be cared for first. While il
was provided that as soon as all New
York veterans suffering from mental
ailments should have been taken care
Of veterans from other states should be
admitted and while there was no dis
puto that the government vas morally
/ obligated to take care Of all. Senator'S
on the committee said they disliked to
set precedent.
SO fAr as is known, the only other
state to make an offer to the goven-
mcnu will, regard to financing a hos
pital for its own insane soldiers is Wis,
cOnsin