The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-12
EX-COUNCILMEN
TO BATTLE FOR
HOSPITAL UNIT
Abandonment of Plan for
MilIion-DoIIar Ward {
Building ASSailed.
NEED CALLED PRESSING
Decision to Ask Bond Issue
t0FiniSh Blind Floor
Is Criticised.

Probability that several former
city council members will protest
temporary abandonment of the
Seven-story ward building plans for
city hospital was indicated today,
as result of the problem created by
closing of the Flower Mission hos
pital for tuberculosis patients.
Some of the councilmen in the
administration of former Mayor l..
Ert Slack were aroused over the
decision of the health board to ask
a $4,000 bond issue to finish and
equip the blind floor in the out
| patient building, with abandonment
of the 81 ,044, 900 ward structure be-
cause of the city's present financial
condition.
Recently the Slack administration
council met at dinner and infor-
mally expressed the belief that the
conditions which called for the
building program had not
changed" since they retired from
Office.
Protest Is Considered
1t appeared likely that some Of
the councilmen will appear before
the present council to protest the
$65,000 bond issue which City Con-
troller William II. Elder agreed to
recommend.
John F. White, former council
health chairman, said some of the
former city fathers expressed disap-
pointment with the announcement
that the Sullivan administration
dropped the hospital ward program
because the city'S bonding margin
is only $2,800,O00.
White declared the unfinished
floor of the out-patient building was
not designed for use as a ward, as
contemplated under the present
program of the city to provide 10
extra beds.
Building of the ward unit was
such an outstanding need that 1
feel the city would be justified en-
tirely in the expenditure, although
the bonding margin is low" White
said.
WOOlIen InspectS Building
Evans Woollen Jr., new health
board member; Mrs. David Ross,
Flower Mission Society president,
and Eugene Foster, Indianapolis
Foundation secretary, visited the
hospital today to familiarize Wool
len with the hospital program and
the need for providing facilities for
advanced tubercular patients.
Woollen conferred with Herman
P. Lieber, vice-president Of the
Community Fund and active as a.
councilman in the last administra-
ton, to determine the attitude Of
the fund toward the Flower Mis-
sion's proposal to build a tubercu-
losis unit with 100000 which the
society has had on deposit for sew
eral years.
Lieber declared the Community
Fund was not lacking in sympathy
for the Flower Mission plan, but
felG that it is the duty of the city,
rather than by private enterprise,
to care for the tubercular cases.
Cites Building Program
Lieber cited the fact that the
program as laid out by DR.. Chris
TOPPER w. Parnell, Rochester, N. Y,
consultant for the city in the build
ing program, provided for additional
facilities and ward for the tuber-
cular patients, replacing the Flower
Mission. 1t was planned to dedicate
the ward to the Flower Mission in
honor of it's service in tubercular
work for a quarter century.
awe have conferred with them
on several occasions and set out the
idea of the fund directors" Lieber
said. Mayor Sullivan had promised
to notify us on the decision as to
whether the city would proceed with
the main ward building, but we
have not heard anything officially"
Fund officials conferred with city
administration leaders some time
ago, City Controller Elder and
others contending that the present
bonded debt of the city would not
permit going ahead with the hos
pital program.