Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-02-12
Ghe 3ree press.
Why does the Sanitary Commission need
so much Money.
BURLINGTON
D AY MORNING FEBRUARY IL, 1854

" This is plain question, honestly ssked
and there is plain and honest answer, says
the Sanitary Commission Bulletin for Janu-
ary; and it proceeds to show that the mere
- distribution OF supplies" which are sent to
them, large and expensive as that labor is,
is but one of FIVE directions in which the Sani-
tary Commission Is laboring to ward off
disease, to insure speedy recovery to the sick
and wounded, to relieve the anxiety of friends
at home, and to make the dear-bought expe-
rience Of regiments already long in the war
available to regiments just entering the field. -
The business Of Sanitary inspection in the
field and hospital relief-work, with its
- Lodges and =. Homes" wherever an army
is found and sick or wounded soldiers are In
transit, the Hospital Directory for the inform
alton of friends, all demand large outlays Of
money in addition to the supply distribution
Theeost Of maintaining these four departments
with the largeness which the interests Of half =
million enlisted men, and half a million homes
ask for. and with the thoroughness which wise
eeono,nv rnites with medical science in demand
inc. cannot be less than thirty thousand dollars
each month. And it is with the express under
standing that 10 such use this much of the mon
ey will be appropriated, that funds are asked
for and contributed to carry on 1.-THE work Of the
Commission
Thus it If that the - Central Treasury" from
which all these departments Of the Commissions
work draw their support, needs constant renew
al although the Branches OF supply (lately 50
. amply furnished by the proceeds of the " SANTA
~ Fairs held in various sections of the country
NAV be stored to overlooking with goods and
money
But the whole ground is not covered by tn.
statement. All persons employed by the Com
mission in every part Of the vast held draw
their pay from the Central Treasury. Moreover,
it has become the setilei policy OF the Commis-
sion to employ pad agents large eXpe-
. rience. with Jealous regard TO a right and
economical use Of funds entrusted to their care,
has convinced the Commission beyond question
that IN a work continuing thus for years, the
only wise method Is TO employ the best men that
can be obtained, with comPensating pay
that thus only can be secured continued and
experienced labor, lone Of the most important
. Of all things IN this workl-systematic effort
F a sense Of responsibility to those IN authority
entire yielding up Of time and strength to the
Of the Commission TO remove any person from
the service VINO may prove 10 be incompetent or
4 IN suited 10 the work Under the volunteer sys-
3 TEN Of agency, which may snswer well where
A comnlmtively narrow field IS covered, and for
a work Ghich IS limited 10 weeks or months
none Of rkese absolutely essential ends eau be
secured. And although this work Of the SAM
tary Commission S a benevolent work, and its
benefits are grstlitous to those who receive them,
\.
with thorough business method. This, too, is
to he borne iu mind. that this system Of paid
agents does not exclude the advantage Of having
in the work disinterestedness and religious earn
estness On the contrary, many men Of just
those characteristics, and who because Of the
spirit which was IN them entered IN the work,
are now retained among the paid agents; they
were men who could give few months to the
cause, but were net justified IN giving years -
And in selecting persons additional 10 be en-
I ployed the aim Of the Commission is always to
I get men whose hearts are there before their
hands are called to take hold
But once more, the Central Treasury Is drawn
upon, not only for maintaining the various de-
partments already named, and for the pay OF all
the persons employed by the Commission east and
west-some two hundred men, including its
corps Of Medical Inspectors-but also for the
purchase Of supplies, as are needed IN emergen-
cies where there is no time TO send to distant
Branches and storehouses In this way after
single battle, sometimes fifteen or twenty thou
sand dollars are used, every single dollar (which
probably helps TO meet some real want or to save
a life From the Central Treasury also comes
the money which maintains in the field with
each army corps independent means Of trans
portaiion for carrying with the army it
moves and distributing their sanitary supplies.
This is the system now adopted by the Commis-
sion. There is also the expense incurred of pur
chasing horses and wagons with which TO trans
port supplies for the nearest depots TO battle
fields. This expense is often very srge, but II
has been more than once proved Of incalculsble
benefit, enabling us 10 reach the wounded with
our stores on the field long in advance Of the
Government stores. For. as is well known, &C
cording 10 existing laws, the Medical Depart
ment can draw supplies, but is utterly powerless
as to ordering them forward to the field, there
being no Independent transportation at the
control Of that Department. The Medical Off
Ger is obliged TO make over his supplies
to the Quartermaster's Department for
transportation, where, with the immense burden
which is heaped up there, there Is often an una
voidable delay which is death to the wounded
who are waiting upon the field So long as this
law continues, by which the hands Of the Medi-
cal Department are thus tied, " 80 long''-as
one of the Medical Bureau recently sand. men,
her of the Regular Army is there an abso-
lutte necessity that the Sanitary Commission
stand ready with its independent transportation
10 carry forward at the earliest moment sup
plies to the battle-helds-"
Such is an enumeration of some Of the priD-
cinal demands which the Central Treasury Of
the Sanitary Commission must always be pre-
pared to meet In their aggregate these de-
rnands call for monthly deposit in the Treasury
OF forty thousand dollars