Critics attac local hospital
By DAN BIDDLE
The Ann Arbor chapter of the
Medical Committee for Human
Rights (MCHR) has accused St.
Joseph Mercy Hospital of mono-
polistic practices, violation of
Michigan tax statutes, and
"gross negligence in serving real
community health needs."
MCHR is a growing organiza-
tion of medical professionals
whose self-proclaimed purpose is
to "make quality health care a
human right."
The hospital has categorically
denied all the charges in an of-
ficial statement describing the
allegations as "irresponsible and
having utterly no basis in fact."
MCHR announced yesterday
that it had sent out a series of
letters requesting that:
-U.S. Attorney General Rich-
ard Kleindienst begin "an invest-
igation of several Michigan cor-
porations involved in an alleged
"conspiracy with the St. Joseph
Mercy Hospital to monopolize
trade in emergency room care,
anethesiology, radiology, a n d
academic training programs:"
-S t a t e Insurance Commis-
sioner Russel Van Hooser "in-
tervene to stop illegal and un-
just practices leading to need-
less high costs" at St. Joseph's;
-City Attorney Jerold Lax
file suit against the hospital for
violation of Michigan Statute
211, which deals with tax exemp-
tions for non-profit corporations;
-City Council begin "exten-
sive public hearings in order to
stop the self-interest-oriented and
secretive planning and operation
of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital."
Neither Kleindienst nor Hooser
were available last night for
comment on the requests from
MCHR.
Lax said he has ordered City
Assessor Wayne Johnson to in-
vestigate the matter.
MCHR charges that the hos-
pital violates tax statutes by
"extending its tax exempt status
to profit - making professional
corporations."
St. Joseph's Public Relations
and Development Director John
Rhude called the charges "total-
ly false" and said that all cor-
porations using hospital space
"are paying their taxes" for that
space. He also denied the charge
of "monopolistic practices in
health care."
Many of the allegations con-
cern St. Joseph's planned move
to a new site in Superior Town-
ship, east of Ann Arbor.
According to Rhude, the move
was made necessary by a Mich-
igan Board of Health directive
ordering the hospital to expand
and improve its capacity on a'
new site by 1976.
MCHR spokesperson Eric Helt
argued that the reasons for the
move have never been made
clear, and said he was con-
vinced that the move was in-
tended "to satisfy the hospital's
profit motive and dodge input
from this community."
Rhude denied Helt's claim.
MCHR contends that a closer
location is available at an esti-
mated cost of $750,000, compared
to a figure of $2 million for the
planned site, which Helt says is
close enough to the Ann Arbor
sewage treatment plant to cre-
ate a "serious health hazar'd."
Rhude called Helt's figures
"erroneous" and denied the
health hazard charge
He added that the Michigan
Board of Health had approved
of the new site but said he did
not know "exactly how far it is"
from the sewage plant.
page thre
NEVER-ENDING
High-$3
Low-63
Mostly cloudy, chance
of thundershowers
Tuesday, July 18, 1972 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN News Pho ie: 764-0552
IRS seeks
suit against
A landlords
Retreat near Quang Tri
South Vietnamese hurry to climb aboard a truck at a bridge crossing south of
North Vietnamese rocket fire begins to close in on their position yesterday. The Sou
are in the third week of a drive to recapture Quang Tri and claim to have advanced
yards of the provincial capital's eastern border with the help of massive U.S. bombi:
U.S. B52 bombers and a naval task force of more than a dozen crusiers and destr
the North Vietnamese held areas.
STARTS TOMORROW:
Annual fair turns South
into an excitingartist' s
By CHRIS PARKS
Following a large scale in-
vestigation of campus area hous-
ing, the Detroit branch of the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
has recommended that the Jus-
tice Department initiate law
suits against certain Ann Arbor
landlords for rent freeze viola-
tions.
This was revealed by Mayor
Robert Harris at last night's
City Council meeting.
According to Harris, the recom-
Associated Press mendatio'h for action was made
known yesterday afternoon dur-
ing a meeting between Detroit
IRS officials and the council's
Quang Tri as Rental Housing Committee. No
ith Vietnamese specific landlords were named.
I to within 200 Harris said, "We got the im-
pression that local IRS has rec-
ng. Nearly 100 ommended some enforcement
oyers pounded suits, but do not know if these
will be civil or, criminal or
whether the U.S. Attorney and
- Justice Department will ap-
prove the recommendations."
The decision by IRS came, ac-
cording to Harris, after a major
lT investigation of campus area
landlords. IRS, Harris said, as-
signed 15 per cent of its entire
field manpower for the state to
the study.
aIt was the opinion of the IRS
investigators, h o w e v e r, that
overcharges were due to "land-
lord misunderstanding of the
o maintain t h e complex rules, rather than will-
he displays work ful flouting of understood rules,"
s year's artists according to the mayor.
y an acceptance Harris' announcement came
up of eight per- just prior to passage by City
Council of a rent control ordi-
nance designed to p r o m o t e
stricter compliance with rent
freeeze provisions by city land-
lords.
The ordinance requires land-
lords to compile rent data in-
cluding base price information,
and to make this information
available to prospective tenants.
Several key provisions were
deleted before the law was pass-
ed, however.
Deleted portions of the ordi-
nance include a requirement that
the information be filed with
the City Assessor, and a clause
allowing any concerned person to
file suit against a landlord be-
lieved to be in violation.
As approved, the ordinance
carries with it a possible fine
of up to $100 and jail sentence
of up to 90 days for noncompli-
ance. Only Council members
Bruce Benner (R-4th ward) and
Lloyd Fairbanks (R-5th ward)
opposed the measure.
MCAT-DAT
Home Study Review
and Testing Program
For information write:
GRADUATE STUDIES CENTER
P.O. Box 386, N.Y., N.Y. 10011
This Wednesday will mark the
opening of the thirteenth an-
nual Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
which will run through Saturday,
July 22nd.
The fair annually attracts over
70,000 persons who come to view
the work of nationally known ar-
tists from sixteen states as well
as Canada.
Many types of art media can
be seen at the fair as well as
demonstrations of glass blowing.
ceramics, wood carving, print-
making, weaving, spinning,
painting, metalsmithing, weld-
ing, clay sculpture, and enamel-
ing.
Sponsored by the South Univer-
sity Businessmen's Association,
The Ann Arbor Art Association,
the Chamber of Commerce and
the University of Michigan, the
fair will take place in booths
constructed on South University.'
Plannedastageeaperformances
highlight each year's fair. This
year's entertainment will include
performances by the Civil Thea-
tre, the Ann Arbor Council for
the Performing Arts and t he
Huron Valley Architects Associa-
tion.
Impromptu events, such as the
street dances, strolling singers
and musical groups, also add ex-
citement to the fair.
Other events include children's
artwork created from recycled
discarded materials, and exhibi-
tions from, the Potter's Guild,
high school students and senior
citizens.
In an effort t
high quality of ti
on display, thi
were selected b
committee made
sons competent to evaluate one
or more categories of the fair.
The committee also evaluatees
all work at the fair each year
and uses this evaluation as a
basis for issuing invitations to
artists the following year.,
This year's fair hours are from
9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday
through Friday and from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The best
time to visit the art fair is be-
tween opening hours and mid-af-
ternoon.
OPEN
e e 1:15
Shown at
1:30
4 P.M.
6:30
9 P.M.
231 S. STATE ST.
DIAL 662-6264