Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-27

opinion one way or the other and
Furthermore. that the margin OF saw
ing tn the State. in the long rum, lies
dccisivcly with the university loca-
ton.
MIR. Abraham Flcxncr. tho most
authoritative medical expert in
America. agrees with the essentials
Of this statement and has said SO In
his able report to the commission n
so many words. Educational inStitu-
lions rest on educational bases. 70
transfer them hitncr and thith,r on
the basis Of alleged financial profit
would bc II fearful policy. which
might result in the ultimate re-
rnoval or all departments and the
consequent disinteSration OF ti,.
whole university. Take the law
school. for example. Ii any one were
To offer US S5,000,0O0. instead OF $500
600. TO remove that school To any
location, we should fight IL 10 the
end unless IL was proposed to. move
the whole university. and many ct
the arguments here used To remove
the medical school would be equally
applicable to any department. Bu;
let us be patient and look at the
main facts. in SO far as the facts
can he observed. In the matter oil
plant. construction and equipment
about $4,000 would be required I'M
school. This would he used at the
university to extend the hospital and
provide needed laboratory and teach
ing space with abundancy of land to
build upon-an ideal situation. wiih
the result Il teaching unit OF. eXccr-
tionai efficiency. The same sum would
be required at Richmond 10 care Tor
a mortgage on cncumbcred property.
deficits on operation and to build
"a M ton ,.bi ,,tr ~,
lures in most unfavorablc locality
with no adequate land available for
expansion. and think everybody
would concede thai, IL great result.
are genuinely sought the whole si:.,
must be abandoned and now land pur-
chased ut great cost The Immediate
result would be a series Of buildings;
poorly related TO each other. for ell
Gent hospital administration not cell
traiiy controlled. and one of them at
least fit only to be torn down. This
Is what the much discussed gift, OF
what is alleged 10 be 100000 OF
property. amounts to. The university
is asked to abandon $500, 900 TO $780,
200 OF property. upon which an ideal
plant can arise, to accept Il group oil
buildings alleged to be worth $780,
600. but so related to each other and
so placed that|any just ambition for
the future dictates the abandonment
OF the whole outfit and it's rebuilding
elsewhere. The whole act OF donat-
Ing this property To the university
amounts to gesture. not a reality;
an essential cncumbrancc. not Il
permanent asset. The only wise
course to pursue would bc to sell
this property in the real estate mar
ket and buy land elsewhere, and the
Two deals might We'll result in a real
estate cancellation. The sum total OF
the sale would be about enough
money to buy the land. which you al
ready have at the university. to pas
off mortgages and To begin all over
to build buildings. the splendid
nucleus Of which you already have
at the university. II is almost as
danrerou thing to accept gifts
without deep consideration OF the
consequences. as II Is to borrow
money. as was clearly demonstrated
in the celebrated case OF the white
elephant.
When we come to consider tho rcia-
tive cost of expense OF operation u
large hospital and OF "a suitable
SthH OF professors for the contcm-
plated school. the advantage Seems To
lie entirely with the university situa-
ton, unless IL is to he conceded that
the bulk of the stan is to be rccruitcs:
from city practitioners. Such Il prac-
the policy OF the university. The rca.
vocational professor in Il medical
school in Richmond will need more
salary. demand more salary and ger
! more salary. Living as scientific men
in close contact with other scientific
men in an educational community
they Will need less money for thcni-
selves. their wives ana children than
they would need or ask il under the,
lf rif ia nj
and Inevitable social emulation with
the medical profcssio OF Il great city
The assertion that student life is less
expensive in a large city than in a
small place Is also, To my thinking.
without solid foundation. In the frs,
place. the medical fees would be the
same. Cheaper food might be OBJ
tanned. but II will be bad food and
cheaper lodgings may be obtained, but
it will lie unworthy loration-hurt-
full. in the first ease, To bodily growth
and, in the second. to mental ani
| moral quality. Men dccently housed
and decGntly fed can work better and
learn faster. The university is about
To enter on program OF dormitory
expansion. II is already furnishing
food in it's cafeteria ut cost. Surely.
there is no inherent reason why the
cost of living in Albemarle County
should be greater than In the city %:
| Richmond. That. after all, is IL per-
Sonal question. Ii Il man must work
under conditions OF extreme cheap
ness. he can do so as well and better
1T the university than In Richmond
The whole economic contention, then.
as to construction. expense of opera
ton. cost of staff and student cXpcns,
fails 10 meet the acid test of fact and
argument and leaves the problem
where ii ought to rest. on cduc:t-
tional bases. which have been shown
to he conclnSively in favor OF the uni
versity location.
The fourth> point has reference to
the need OF money for the building -.
modern medical schools. have al
ludcd to university associations a.,
the educational core of this ques-
ton. The practical core is the nee
tor Immediate money. The bin be
fore YOU makes no mention OF money
The mention of money in q bill OF
course. complexities it's passage Th.
university ~ simply presented with Il
handsome deficit aud u mortgaEcd
property. inadequate for the purposes
OF the bill. and a vast responsibility
from which the Medical College uu-
thorities retire, and the university
assumes and is directed 10 achieve