Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-30
HOSPITAL SCHEME
FOR UNITY IS URGED
Social Workers Conference
Told Medical Center Idea
Could Be Developed.

radical new hospital system where
By all Warrington institutions would
unite for the common civic welfare, as
suriEa every sick person of adequate
hospital care regardless Ct his financial
circumstance or disease, was advocated
today az the city-wide conference Of So
cial workers by DR.. NJ Z. Bmestone Of
New York
DR. BIuestone's plan enlbodles the
theory Of the medical center idea with
out necessarily centralizing physical IA
riIities. 10 would result ultimately
however, in the construction OF med
ical center. somewhat Ike that IN New
York. whereby the acute general hos
pital. the chronic hospital and homes
for the incurable would be grouped TO-
gctheT.
Calls Facilities Inadequate.
Realizing It would be many years be-
fore such a center could be built, Dr
Bluestone, who is director Of the Mon
tefiore Hospital in New York, urged
that Washington hospitals begin ~ once
20 unity their activities.
Instead OF all hospitals here pulling
in different directions he said. II rec
ommend to you the Capitalization OF
hospital work and the unifying OF social
effort"
He decried as "strikingly inadequate
hospital facilities here for handling
chronic and convalescent cases and
urged immediate construction Ct addi-
tional institutions TO care for such cases.
Urges Free Pre- Natal Clinics.
DIR. J. H. Mason Knox, director Of
the Child Hygiene Bureau of Maryland,
deploring the high maternal mortality
rate in the District of Columbia, which
he said amounted TO nine deaths per
1000 births, urged the social workers
to campaign for free prenatal clinics.
He said prenatal care is one Of the
principal factors in child hygiene and
asserted that the death of mothers
really means more than one person, as
1t affects the whole family structure.
He said the high maternal mortality
was caused primarily by ignorance and
Indifference on the part Ct the average
American father"
Says Labor Cares for Own.
Organized American labor will take
care OF its own" unemployed and desti-
tute, and IF any member of organized
labor comes to you don't give him a
dime" Edward F. McGrady Of the
American Federation of Labor told the
conference at a meeting last night.
McGrady, who has just returned
from the national meeting Of the A. F..
OF l.. in Canada, predicted that before
long civil service employees of the Gov
eminent will be asked to divide their
time with the unemployed, Members
of organized labor already are giving
part-time employment to their less for
tunate brethren. he said.
The chief difficulty In the unemploy-
nnent problem, in McGradyS opinion. is
the self-supporting young woman and
the so-called white collar" man cut Of
work. These are the types he believes
sooner or later viii have to be absorbed
In civil service jobs.
ID. c. Makes 10000 Work Hours.
Assistant Treasury Secretary Ferry
K Heath told how the Government
building program here is helping re-
Heve unemployment. but explained that
while the Government is spending
about $4,000, 900 month on construc-
ton, this work cannot replace the
building programs of other cities. Out
side of Washington, however, Govern
msnt building acts as a stimulus to
private construction, he asserted
The District Committee on Unem-
ployment within the past year has fur
IliShed 10000 hours Of made work,
George j. Adams, its secretary, dis
closed. He also spoke of plans now
under way to raise money for the COM
ing Winter.