Evening star., 1947-05-21
Offered
New Rate Plan
In Alexandra
Given Week to Reply
To Compromise on
INDECENT Charges
BY Mary Lou Werner

snOtS3SBut SissSS
By Mary Lou Werner
Alexandra Hospital was given ont
week by the Hospital Committee o1
I the City Counciil last week to con-
slider a compromise suggestion ir
the dispute over INDECENT care rates
lat the hospital.
Meeting with the hospital boare
before last nights City Council
meeting, the hospital COMMITTEES
asked the board If it would accep'
an $881 per diem INDECENT cart
payment without the $50, 900 gram
also requested by the hospital.
A recent letter from the hospita
board informed the Alexandria city
heads that INDECENT patients woule
mot be accepted after June unless
the hospitals terms were met. Al
the session last night, represents
tives Of the hospital board stuck te
the original hospital demand for ar
$8.81 per diem rate, plus a $4,000
grant from the city.
The councils Hospital Committee
has recommended 81 per diem
rate and disapproved the $So,0W
grant request.
Offer is Termed Fair"
R. Samuel Luckett, chairman Of
the Hospital Committee, said thai
while he was not in a position t<
guarantee that the Hospital Com
mittee would recommend an $8.81
rate minus the grant, he would like
to know if the board would accept
this. He added he felt 1t would be
a "fair offer"
David G. Book, chairman OF TIT
hospital board, said he could mo-
commit the board, but he felt they
would agree TO some kind OF com.
promise. He promised Mr.. LucKet'
the board would reach a decision II
time to report to next Tuesdays
council meeting.
City councilmen told the boarc
one Of their chief reasons for dls'
approving the lump sum grant was
that they were not in a position te
allocate the taxpayers money to a
private corporation where they have
no say in the use Of the money
City Attorney Joseph M. Pancoas1
said he had consulted an expert or
that question and was told it Woulc
not be good government" to USE
public funds in that manner.
Highway Work Fund Voted.
At the council meeting after the
special session on the hospital issue
It was voted to appropriate $43.0ot
to cover Hooff's Run from diagonal
road to Prince street in order te
eliminate bad traffic condition II
that vicinity. The funds also art
to cover the widening Of the Hoh's
Run culvert under Duke street.
The council adopted an ordinance
permitting taxicabs to cruise ir
Alexandria and at the same time IN.
structed the city traffic board tt
consider limiting the number o1
taxis in the city to 100. An old ordi'
nance had made taxicab cruising
within city limits Illegal.
The city attorney was instructed
to check recent license tax increases
to see if any change had been made
in the charge for trailer camp
licenses. This action came after
Finance Committee Chairman Ev.
erett A. Hellmuth told the council
of complaints by trailer camp opera
tors that they had been overcharged
He said he failed to find any provi-
sion raising trailer camp licenses
but that operators of these camps
had been charged double rates thi.
year.
To Seek Lot Clearance Charge.
It was voted to ask Alexandra
delegates to the Virginia State Leg.
islature to seek legislation empower
ing the city to.add the cost of clear.
ing lots overgrown with weeds to the
tax bill of the property owners. A
communication from the Alexandra
Chamber of Commerce, read at tht
meeting, recommended stricter en-.
forcement of the city's laws govern
ing weeds on vacant lots. 1t wa
decided, however, to seek the Stats
Legislation after City Manager Car
A. Budwesky outlined the difficulty
in collecting charges against prop.
erty owners when lots are cleared b.
the city.
The council unanimously turnet
down recommendation by th'
State Compensation Board fo
higher wages for city Jail employees
The council appropriated $3.50 tt
cover the cost Of razing part O.
Alexandria old county market shee
in City Hall court and OF recon
structing pan of the sheds mair
section.
No action was taken on a reques'
Of Nicholas A. Colasanto for an ap.
preparation Of $4,000 for the Polics
Boys Camp at Kilmarnock. Va. 4
drive is on in the city of Alexandra
to raise $35,O00 for the camp.
The council did not act on re.
quest from Arlington County to joir
with them In seeking a gas rate
reduction.