Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-04-22

COUNTY FUNDS
FOR HOSPITAL
NEVER GIVEN
Bushey and Court Refuse
To Appropriate Amount
Pledged; Building Not
Finished, Result.

Refusal of Judge w. M. Bushey
and. the remainder Of the Marion
county court to appropriate the
s25, 600 pledged by the court to
The new Salem Hospital is re-
sponsible for the fact that the
first unit of the hospital now
stands hree-fourths complete but
unavailable for use.
Flatly repudiating the pledge
that they gave orally to a COM
mittee from the board of directors
OF the hospital association, Judge
Bushey and the county commits
sioners have prevented the i'm
mediate completion Of the one in
stitution most vitally needed in
Salem and Marion county, and
have made necessary a new drive
for funds with which to complete
and make ready for use the first
unit Of the hospital.
Pledge Basis for Work
1t was with the assurance, given
by Judge Bushey, that the county
would appropriate $4,000 for the
hospital, that the campaign for
the needed money was launched
two years ago. The strength of
this same pledge was the basis for
the hospital boards decision to
build the hospital In units, that
the crying need for hospital facili-
ties in the community night be
earlier met.
Now, with the money secured
from private sources expended in
the construction Of the first unit
and $4,000 needed to make that
unit available for early use, the
county court declines to redeem
Its pledge and provide the needed
money.
Lack of money from which to
make the appropriation and the
stringent regulations of the state
budget law governing county ex-
penditures, were the excuses given
by Judge Bushey this morning
for the courts refusal to make
good on its pledge.
Had Money Then
I'VE had the money when we
made the pledge, but we haven It
got 1t now," said Judge Bushey.
The budget law makes it manda-
tory upon the county court to use
the tax money for specific pur-
poses and we are not going to
nave enough to carry out the road
program that has been mapped
out for this year after setting
aside money for the compulsory
school levies."
The $4,000 pledge to the hos
pi'al board was made two years
ago. In March, 1920. Why no pro-
vision for the appropriation had
peen made in either of the annual
puagets drawn up since that time
Judge Bushey did not explain
o'ner than to repeat that the
county did not have the money.
he admitted that the reputation
VI VI the pledge was due partly to
threats OF outside parties to ask
az injunction If the appropriation
was made.
Compromise Refused
Inc county court first refused
70 make the appropriation in the
summer of 1920, and when again
approached recently reiterated it's
,elusal. Members Of the hospital
Ooard then asked for an immediate
| of $4,000 In lieu
" |, .ne s26, 900. which was refused. |
= iurther proposal that the court |
$4,000 and be given |
..eait for that amount to be re-
pa.u pa.. IN service to county hospital
was likewise refused,
-espite the fact that the county |
.Ourt Is now paying an average of
,,.l' lure than $3.50 month in hos
memoers of the hospital board
~ osiared today that Judge Bushey
= 'au admitted to them that such
- arrangement would be finan-
beneficial to the county,
u tnat the refusal to make the
was made in the
ace OF this admission.
Judge Bushey declared that the
se was not made two years
81 81 out four or five years ago,
~ mat subsequently he told the
board at a mass meeting
in na' the $4,000 would be condi-
'onal. What the conditions were
e did not say.
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