Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-06
CHARLES F. WELLER,

secretary OF the Associated Charities.
''The summer outings work of the Asso-
ciated Charities, including Camp Good
WILL, and the notable achievements of the
public Fairgrounds committee suggest
themselves at once in answer to your in
quiry to What has been the most i'm
portant forward step in local philanthropic
work during the year 1904? Yet there is
one new movement which, in my judgment,
is even more important than these. I refer
to the campaign against tuberculosis The
Associated Charities committee on the pre-
vention of consumption has recently COM
pieted its first years work. Although less
than $3.50 was collected from local contribu-
tors during that time, there We're forty-four
public lectures given, which instructed from
$4,000 to $4,000 people to the means by
which consumption may be cured and,
more important still, prevented Four tent
pavNions for the treatment of INDECENT con-
Sumpt1veS were also erected. A loan libary
was established and cards giving instruc-
tons to consumptives and to persons living
with them have been widely distributed A
free dispensary for the detection of con-
sumption in its early, durable stages has
also been established. Through the coop
Grafton of local newspapers and educational
campaign has been conducted
When these works are considered in con-
nectlon with the facts that one in every
seven of all deaths throughout Christendom
is due to consumption. that Washington
death rate from this disease is excessive
and that almost every inhabitant of the
city Is more or less endangered by this
great white plague is becomes evident
that the new movement is one of utmost
Importance. What needs to be accom-
plished in the future, however, makes last
years creditable record seem insignificant.
Compulsory Education.
las to your second question, What one
thing in the line of local philanthropic
work is best worth striving to bring about
during 1862 / am somewhat at a loss to
decide between the fundamental need for
compulsory education and the need for a
special commission on housing and health
conditions Both were suggested in Presi-
dent Roosevelts recent message. 1t is not
unreasonable to think that both ought to be
realized during 1903. OF the two l should
like to emphasize the latter because the
matter of compulsory school attendance
has already secured the attention of many
Westinghouse, while the other suggestion
has not yet received the public consideration
that j. merits and requires. If Congress-
should authorize the President to select a
score of influential citizens to serve with
out pay. a special commission on hous-
ing and health conditions in the national
capital and would appropriate about eight
or ten thousand dollars for the necessary
expenses of the work. the commission would
make such convincing analysis of local
needs, together with such pertinent deduc-
tons from the successful reformatory eff
forts of other cities, would result in the
elimination of serious present evils here
and the development of laws which would
protect Washington from unwholesome
brick tenements, inadequate air spaces
overcrowding and other future evils with
which the city is threatened. / feel that
this suggestion of President Roosevelt IS
one whose importance is not yet appreciat-
ed; the success of similar commissions in
other cities convinces me that this measure
would be of fundamental benefit here.
However, if we can have only one re-
form this year then by all means let hous-
ing improvement, health conditions. .juva-
nile court. tuberculosis hospital and every
thing else wait while a law is enacted
which will put into school the six or seven
thousand Washington children between
eight and fourteen years of age who are
now growing up in dangerous ignorance
because there is no means authority for
forcing them into school"