Evening star., 1928-11-28
COLUMBIA HOSPITAL
NEEDS DESPERATE
Unless Congressional or Other
Aid Comes Soon, Doors
Must Close January |.

Crowded TO the wall by an accumu-
lated deficit of 100000 and lacking
credit for its daily necessities, the Co
lunbia Hospital for Women must close
its doors January ], for time at least,
unless CONGRESS comes to its aid during
The short session or prompt financial
relief is forthcoming from some other
source. 4.
This was the situation admitted to-
dav bV DR.. Warren p. Morrill,, It's su.
perintendent, and the only hope helo
ont bv the hospital authorities If wash
ington's principal lying-in asylum Is TO
be kept open to the public atter tnaI
cate. 1t is a situation which the nos
pital authorities reluctantly ADMIT Is
growing daily more acute since ;eC reGe,iC
attention was directed 10 the SerlouS
plight of the institution:
eve have sufficient funds on mana
and in sight to run Columbia Hospital
torJanuary / on a cash basis, DR.. Nor
rim said. AFTER the first OF the new
wear. unless we get some money from
Somewhere undoubtedly the only thing
the hospital can do is to close It's
When DR.. Morrill, says the hospital
Is being conducted on a cash OASIS lie
speaks literally.
"Eyervthing we order, including gro
-.
We haven't any credit"
DR.. Morrill,, nevertheless, refuses 10
abandon all hope. For five years Con-
gress and the District Board OF Chari-
ties predecessor of the Board OF Public
welfare. have been owing the hospital
a debt of $4,000. representing a dehclt
arising in 1929 from the allotment
made by the District for INDECENT pa
tients cared for at Columbia.
IF Congress can be persuaded 70
annropriate this sum of $4,000" Or,
Morrill, explained, lit would secure the
hospital for the months of January and
February"
In the meantime the outstanding
deficit of 100000, which largely repre-
sentS bills incurred In the Distflct, Is
the chief problem which remains to be
solved and for which now there Is
apparently no adequate solution.
Chest Membership Sought.
Provided Congress can be persuaded
ta repay the hospital the $4,000 due it,
another hope for continued operation
lies in the fact that application has
been made in its behalf for partieipa-
ton in the Community Chest.
According to present outlook, there
seems small likelihood OF Congress au-
thoriEing payment in the District ap-
IL. Q444 VI N44C GSiN1o AAAS0kNA@
ness to which the superintendent refers.
When the indebtedness was incurred,
some FIVE years ago, Congress took the
position that the District government
lacked authority to create deleit In
its fund for charity patients, IT has
been hanging fire ever since,
While q comparatively insignificant
sum in connection with the total deficit
of the hospital, 1t now represents q
financial bridge which could be made
to span a two months gap in operating
costs For this reason 1t looms large
Ia the minds of hospital authorities,
Hope for financial relief from Con-
gresS, It is understood, depends largely
on the otiieial status which ultimately
is given the hospital. Failure OF Con-
gress TO appropriate funds for the re-
Gently authorized nurses home at Co
lumhia, it was said, was due largely -
a difference of opinion between the re-
sponsihle leaders in the House and
Senate IS. to what should be the proper
relation Of the Government TO the
hospital.
The senate District committee. it Is
understood, believes Columbia should be
continued as a public hospital and sup
ported by the District. In the House
conpaittee, however, the. attitude was
renFesented as treating the hospital as
a private institution. There is hope
that this difference of opinion viii be
iToned out satisfactorily in time to pro-
vide more than the ordinary annual ap-
preparation of 4l5.00o which Congress
now allows for maintenance of the hos
pitai building since the Federal Gov
ernment holds title to all the realty of
the hospital.
Confronted with a situation that re-
quires positive remedy If the hospital Is
to continue operat after the first Of
the year, an appeal undoubtedly will be
made to the District Commissioners to
make some specific recommendation In
its behalf. Just what character this
appeal would take no one Is In posi-
ton to say at this time,
Columbia Hospital owes its financial
plight very largely to the cause of pub
lie charity the continuance of which,
in the fact of mounting hospital costs,
DR.. Merrill believes, has been more than
justified by the steadily declining
maternal death rate at the hospital.