The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-11-05
ASK SPACE FOR NEGRO PATIENTS IN TUBERCULAR
HOSPITAL.
Welfare Board Presents Petition to County Board Asking
that Provision be Made for Negro Patients

The Colored Welfare Board has
resumed its efforts to obtain suit
able Accommodations for the Negro
tubercular patients of the city and
county.
On last Thursday it presented a
petition to the County Board ask
ing that provision be made in Wood
lawn Hospital recently erected and
supported by public funds.
The petition has been edorsed by
the City Health Department and
the white Welfare Board and the
indications are that its presentation
will pave the way for definite action
in behalf of Negro tubercular pa
tients for whom there is at present
no accommodation.
The petition is as follows:
Dallas County, Texas,
Gentlemen:
We, the undersigned citizens and
tax payers of the city and county
of Dallas do hereby petition your
Honorable Board to make arrange
ments to admit INDECENT Negro tu-
berculous patients to Woodlawn Hos
pital, and to employ Negro trained
nurses to attend same.
This hospital was erected as you
know, in 1913, by the City and
County jointly, at a cost of $42,-
462.15 exclusive of the ground, and
since that time improvements have
been made, we understand, at cost
Of more than $100,000.00. 1t is for
the care and treatment of INDECENT
tuberculous patients who are bona
fide residents of the City and Coun-
ty of Dallas, and it's cost of main
tenance is more than $1,500,00 per
month. Our race constituting about
one-seventh of the population of the
city and about Qne-eight of the pop
ulation of the County, at present de-
rives no benefit from this eXpendi-
ture of public funds, for Negroes
are denied admission to this hos
pital, condition that has obtained
since the first few months after the
hospital was opened for patients.
There is no place now provided any
where by the City or County to
take care of INDECENT Negro resi-
dents suffering with this dreaded
disease. They are left to their own
resources and in most cases live in
shacks under the worst sanitary and
hygienic conditions, communicating
other members of their families
and imperiling the health of the
community.
The vital statistics of the City
of Dallas show that the Negro race
above all others, stands much in
need of such an institution as Wood
lawn hospital. In this connection
we, respectfully invite your atten-
ton to the comparative statement
of morbidity and mortality of the
races in Dallas for the year 1920
hereto attached. 1t is shown that
the morbidity of whites during the
year, due to tuberculous, as report
ed to the Health Department, was
234, and of Negroes 144. Placing
the white population of Dallas al
$4,000 and the Negro population
at $4,000. 1t is seen that in each
1000 whites there were only LIZ
suffering with tuberculosis while in
each 1000 Negroes there were SIG
suffering with the disease. The
white death rate from this disease
is shown to be for the year rs
Qess than one) per 1000, while
the death rate for Negroes from
said disease during same time was
1.S per 1000. 1t is seen that the
Negro death rate from tuberculosis
in Dallas is more than twice as
large as that of the whites, while
the Negro population is about seven
times less than the white. We cite
these figures to show our race above
all others in Dallas needs such ia
cilities as are provided at Wood
lawn hospital, at the public expense
for INDECENT tuberculous patients.
White people are yearly reducing
their death rate from tuberculosis