8/06/29 MHB's ltr. to EC:
BLUMENTHAL BROTHERS
Members of the New York Stock Exchange
61 Broadway
New York City
Mr. Edgar Cayce,
115 - 35th Street,
Virginia Beach, Va.
Dear Edgar:-
In a previous communication I wrote you that I had lost
Shroyer's estimate of what it would cost to run the hospital.
Please be advised that I have found this estimate, and it is,
therefore, unnecessary to have you make up another to send
to me.
According to that necessary for the month of August, the
hospital will require $2265.49. Of course, applied against
this should be what the hospital takes in from patients.
That taken in from readings should not be applied against
this. The hospital budget should be separate, according to
Edwin and Tim's idea, and I agree with them, and should
include the following:
all hospital salaries
all hospital expense,
but in addition to the expenses listed by Shroyer, the
hospital grounds should also be included in the hospital
expense. This latter, however, should all be paid off,
according to your last statement, and aside from a man to
keep same up, should not be an item of any amount in the
future, as we understand it. Now, while the hospital will
need $2265.49, according to the estimated budget furnished
by Dr. House and Shroyer, against this should be credited
income from the hospital that should be left with the
hospital to pay this $2265.49. No such income should be
otherwise used in our opinion. Then, after the income
subtracted from the above estimated amount, we will have to
make up the deficit until such time as the hospital is self
sustained.
I am enclosing to you a copy of the estimate made up by
Dr. House and Shroyer, and would ask you to add to this
what it will cost us to maintain the hospital ground,
and also estimate what we may anticipate taking in, in
the way of fees from patients. Then we may know about how
much must be appropriated to make up the deficit. I would
also ask you to submit to me yours and Tom Sugrue's idea of
the amount it will cost to print pamphlets, embracing the
purpose of our Association, to print the Quarterly and to
print the Annual, adding on any other such incidentals
as come under the head of the circulars, or that might
come under the head of Education. Finally, then, I would
like you to send me an estimate of what, in your opinion,
will be the monthly cost to run the Secretary's office of
the Association. This latter includes your salary,
Gertrude's salary, and all expenses pertaining to the
giving of readings. Applied against the latter, should be
the fees taken in for membership and for readings. We would
like your estimate of about how much is usually taken in,
that we may know how much of a deficit will necessarily have
to be made up.
Under the head of Educational Budget, should come the
datastician's salary, Sugrue's salary of $50 per month, and
any expense concerned with their work. The Association
budget itself, concerns itself merely with providing
readings, the educational budget with anything concerning
literature, lectures, statistician and datastician work, and
the hospital budget with anything pertaining to the
hospital, its maintenance and its overhead, including its
ground. Paying off on the hospital building, and paying the
insurance should be included in the Association budget, as
that has nothing to do with education or the hospital.
If you will have Shroyer, in cooperation with yourself,
Sugrue and Dr. House, make up these three budgets,
remembering to estimate about what may be expected to
balance off requirements for the hospital in the way the
patients' fees, and what may be expected to be deducted from
requirements from the Association budget in the way of
membership, its dues and payments for readings, we will know
about how much to allot each one of these budgets each
month, and we would appreciate if you would keep each one of
the three separate, providing so much money for education,
so much for the hospital and and so much for the Association
in general, and we believe three separate bank accounts
should be opened in this respect. We are only waiting to
get these sticking back bills paid off and get cleaned up,
in order to start a system by which Dr. House will know how
much he is to spend, Sugrue and Shroyer will know about how
much they may spend and you will know how much surplus there
is to spend in that department.
I think you will agree with us, that this is the only
systematic and orderly way to conduct the business of the
Association, and it appeals to us a great deal more to
appropriate so much for one and so much for the other, and
know that that systematic manner is being used in the
expenditure of funds, rather than just haphazard payment
here and there. I believe it is our idea that all other
accounts be closed except these three, namely, the hospital
account, for which we will provide a budget, the educational
account for which we will provide a budget, and the general
Association account, for which we will also provide a
budget. Will you kindly try and have House and Shroyer and
Sugrue cooperate with us, to furnish us with these three
specific estimates, that the work in each department may
progress, and that the needs for one shall not conflict with
the needs for the others. Personally, I think it an
excellent idea, and although I am not any longer a member of
the Finance Committee, I personally thought this idea of
Eddie and Tim's, very good.
For the moment, the Association budget will be stinted a bit
in order that the Educational may be launched, and that the
hospital service and efficiency may be enhanced, which both
Tim and I well know, as do you, is necessary, and we are
going to do all at our end that it is possible for us to do,
to obtain in the hospital the best and most efficient
service.
Personally, I believe if we are going to have a night nurse,
a general woman is not what we want, but for the world, I
would not interfere. If we are going to have a night nurse,
let us have the best there is, and if we are going to have a
dietician, let us have the best that your market affords, and
if we are going to have a cook, let us get the best in the
community, even though it costs a few dollars more, and even
if we sacrifice buying some property that we otherwise would.
My idea is to make that hospital the standard of hospitals in
the State of Virginia, and I intend to write Dr. House after
these budgets are submitted, and if necessary, will
personally provide the means whereby he need not skimp when
it comes to furnishings patients with the best money will
buy. There are some things that can be skimped, but that is
one thing upon which so much depends, particularly at this
time in our development, that it is pennywise and pound
foolish to try to save where sick people are totally
responsible upon our care.
While I agree with Eddie and Tim, that a policy of economy is
absolutely essential, in order that we not get over our head
and sink entirely, nevertheless, the hospital now receiving
patients depended upon our care must provide those patients
with everything that medical attention, efficiency and
service may provide, and having said "A", we must, in this
department, at least say "B", even if all plans for further
expansion in any of our departments be, for the time being,
curtailed.
I would like Dr. House to know, that if he will be faithful
and give himself to the utmost, we will provide every means
for him to secure the best assistants, help, and servants
that money can buy, and I intend to write him to this effect
tomorrow. I am sure you agree with me in this matter.
Nothing will stand in our way of providing the hospital with
the best nurses, cooks, orderlies and help, so far as we, at
our end, are concerned. Now, then, that we are practically
giving House a free hand to build the best hospital in the
State of Virginia, regardless of expense, let us see what he
can do.
Very sincerely yours, [signed] Morton Blumenthal [MHB:MS]
P.S. We think, as do you, that all moneys should go through
secretary & treasure's office - i.e. through you, but that
you should see to it that expenditures are made according
to the 3 budgets provided by the Committee & that you will,
if you see fit skimp hard on one end to bolster the weak end,
keeping us advised as to where we appropriate too much &
where too little. We want House to understand that he may
have all the money necessary to buy the BEST MEATS,
vegetables, the VERY BEST food, the best cook in the state,
the BEST nurses, assistants and servants, such that in
system, service & efficiency our hospital is & will be the
BEST in the state. If it isn't it will be his fault, not
our's who will provide the means.
[signed] Morton
P.P.S. Advise holding of water to see if our deal for
property goes through. Will know Sept. 1. I sent Ashburn
check for $1000 on it.
8/24/29 See
900-450, Par. 9-A--16-A, re. Cayce Hospital
Management.
9/23/29 See Ck. Physical Rdg.
2682-2, Par. 2, for Cayce
Hospital patient, advising against idea presented of seeking
information for patients in a group rather than as
individuals.
Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation