The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-24
HEALTH BOARD
AGAIN DELAYS
HOSPITAL UNIT
City Controller Elder Is
SkepticaI of Need for
Immediate Action.
CITY SHORT OF MONEY.
Flower Mission Ward Not
So Bad Declaration
of Official.

Acting on advice of City Control
Ter William L. Elder, the city health
board today delayed further de-
cision on the Flower Mission So
.ciety's request to donate the city a
100000 tuberculosis Unit at city hos
pitaI.
Although a committee of DR.. Her
man q. Morgan, city sanitarian,
and Eugene G. Foster, Indianapolis
foundation secretary. was appointed
to make a professional survey of
the charitable cases at the missions
hospital, it was agreed by city Of
ficialS lTonday that the solution to
the problem was to ''let things ride
while longer"
Accompanied by Mayor Reginald
H. Sullivan, Elder appeared before
the health board and urged that
nothing be. done on the Flower Mis-
sion matter at this time, because
finances are at low ebb."
Elder CounseIs Delay
Elder reviewed the Flower Mis-
sion's work on behalf Of tuberculo-
sis for the last quarter century, cit
ing the fact that the city once tore
down hospital belonging to the
society to make way for new build
ingS. . VI
zone member on the mission
board has ruled things like car
out there and no one was admitted
without her sanction. visited the
mission hospital and found things
better than I had expected" Elder
declared.
Il think you would find many
hospitals in the state on a par with
the Flower Mission ward" he said.
We've had this tuberculosis prob
lem for fifteen years, and I can't
see why it can't slide along little
farther, since the city's finances are
at low ebb. We're going to have
lot of troubles of our own, anyway,
completing this building program
and working out the budget" Elder
said.
Inspection Is Arranged
Elder has arranged for the city
building inspector, state fire mar
shall, and fire prevention bureau
officials to view shacks along Coe
street in the vicinity of the tuber-
culosis unit, with the view Of con-
demning them as fire hazards"
The Flower Mission hospital has
been referred to repeatedly as a
fire trap" but no steps are con-
templated to condemn the dilapi-
dated wooden structure where thirty
tubercuIar patients are housed.
Evans Woollen Jr, new board
member, urged professional survey
of the present cases, to show the
number of charitable cases. The
board agreed there should be med
ical supervision of admission of
patients by DR.. William A. Deep
pers, city hospital superintendent, in
event the gift is accepted.
1.-THE situation is no worse than
it was six months ago. Why can't
they admit patients any longer?"
asked DR.. Frederick E. Jackson,
board member.
Ward Is Recommended
"They say it is not suitable to
house tubercular cases." DR.. Henry
Leonard, board president, ex-
plainded.
DR.. Leonard presented report OF
the National tuberculosis Associa-
ton of December, 1924, recommends
ing that the city start 100-bed tu-
bercular ward to serve as clearing
house for Sunnyside, county insti-
tuition, and for advanced tubercular
cases.
Robert Frost Daggett, board
architect, expressed doubt that $780,
900 will build thirty-bed capacity
hospital, as contemplated by the
mission leaders. The board dis
cussed the added cost Of operating
the $4,000 unit if it were accepted.