The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-27
felt Justified in citing us to ap-

felt justified in citing us to ap-
 pear.
 The charge against us, as developed at the meeting, was that we had not compiled with the instructions of the convention in it's seventh article that the convention approve the policy of the commission requiring financial aid from the community where the hospi- tai is to be located in the sum of not less than a dollar for each dollar put in by the board of trustees, in addition to a free site.' It was said that Selma had not fulfilled the dollar for dollar proposition. nor included the addition al free site.
 APPROVE THE POLICY
 "Neither on the part of the trustees nor on the part of Selma was there the slightest thought of under doing the expectation of the convention. It is true that we felt that since we had ourselves written the word approve the policy in Article Seven and that the convention having authorized us to establish an institution whose mission was to serve humanity, desired us to place proper emphasis on other con- 'siderations than the dollar for dollar idea we took the broader view.
 Our retired chairman, Dr. Hobbs, took this same view of the case prior to the meeting of December 6. In an extract from one of his letters to Mr. Ernest Lamar of Selma, who had sought information on this very point he says: Speaking for myself, would say that in general I would favor the section mentioned but that I would not permit that to override any other con- alterations that might appear more important. There are certainly other considerations that are of equal not to say of more importance. feel sure that the board will weigh very careful ly all considerations and attempt to reach a decision based on the entire outlook of proposition rather than on a single feature. I hope what 1 say here covers the ground and will satisfy you
 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
 'In another to MT. Lamar, he illus trates what he meant by other consid- erations' If you will permit me to make a suggestion, your proposition ought to indicate what size hospital you want built in your community, how many hospital beds there are all ready in your community, the popula- ton of the community and it's environs, the surgical talent available, which is always necessary to make hospital ] success a reasonable statement re- garding the hospital being self-sup- porting institution in your community. the amount of territory you may req sonably expect to draw fkom.' The feeling of our brother, as thus ex- pressed, was the feeling of the conyen- ton, as interpreted by the board of trustees. The dollar for dollar idea was not permitted to override other considerations of more or equal inn portance.
 However it so occurred that in her offer Selma did as a matter of fact meet the requirements of Article Seven in the matter of dollar for dollar, in to other considerations. Dr. Hobbs himself construed the dollar for dollar clause to mean a dollar or it's equivalent. Of course, you will un- derstand,' he wrote to MT Lamar, that the dollar for dollar idea is meant to cover money or its equivalent. That is to say. that if something offered Is not money, it should be counted at it's value in money.
 SELMA'S PROPOSITION
 "Selma's proposition was $l00 ,0O0; $50, 900 in cash, hospital equipment. valued at $25,O00, and a site valued at $25.000, the last two subject to ap- Since our immediate out look for money under the $4,000, 00o fund is about $75.0o0. it will thus be seen that Selma matched us. But it was further developed at the meeting of the directors that Dr. Hobbs in send- ing out our instructions to the com peting places had by typographical error written the clause. in addition to site.'
 We ourselves did not know until the meeting that the clause had been omitted. But in both cases Selma made good. The Selma brethren earning- about the insistence of some on this point, returned home from the first Montgomery meeting and induced the citizens to provide in cash an amount which made the contribution 100000 in addition to a free site. What more could be asked? We trus- tees know that in all Alabama there Is no surer dollar for dollar communi- " than Selma, nor community in which our Baptist interests are more likely to get more than a dollar for n dollar. And as for the free site of- Tered, 1t Is ample, eligible and beau Liful.
 REFRAIN FROM ACTION
 "But on the technicalitfea of the
 ease the directors turned us down.
 requesting n to refrain from ac-
 tion In the hospital enterprise and
 wait for m interpretstlcn of our
 tpstructions by the next conven-
 tiOn. On . rehearing of our cans .
 week later in- Montgomery. with
 such new matter n we had to pre-
 seat. the directors refused to re-