Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-30
HAS SUGGESTION
Major c. w. Halves Urges That Other
Organizations Follow Lead
OF WOodmen
FIGHT on DISEASE
Believes tuberculosis Tent Colony
Plant Installed BY Society is More
Than Worth Cost.

Major C. w. Halves, head clerk of
the NJ. w. A, is sending out the fol
lowing relative TO the society's new
sanitarium at Colorado Springs, which
is to be opened this week:
At the December meeting of the eX-
ecutive council of the Modern Wood
men society, held at the headquarters
Of the society in Rock Island. it was
decided to conduct the society's SAM
tarium, located at Colorado Springs,
Col, for the treatment of members af-
ficted with tuberculosis, free of all
charge to members.
The Modern Woodmen, several
months since, acquired 1880 acres OF
land within seven miles of Colorado
Springs, and has established thereon
an up-to-date sanitarium, the tent col
ony plan being employed. The first
colony plan will be ready for the re
ception of patients on Jan. /, 1909, and
is equipped to care for 60 patients, to
which number admissions must be linn
tied for the present.
The tents are Octagonal structures
with single roofs. canvas sides, hard
wood floors on solid cement founda
tons, heated by a central plant, equip
ped with all modern conveniences
such as telephones, etc, and each TEN
will accommodate one patient. An ad
ministration building for physicians
nurses, dining hall baths of all kinds
etc, stands in the center of the col
|ony.
DR.. j. E. White. formerly of th'
Nordrach ranch sanitarium, the medi
cal director in charge, states that onl!
those consumptive members who arr
curabie, or whose lives may be pro
longed for considerable length o
time will be admitted as patients
The wisdom of this rule is apparent
Rigid medical examination as con
dition precedent to admission will b
insisted upon in every case, and spe
cial blank forms have been prepares
for this purpose.
More I'm July.
1t is expected that another colon.
of 60 tents will be ready by July, 100!
and that acceptable patients will b
ready to occupy it in full by that time
A movement is already under way t
equip the second colony plant. Fac
tent. completely equipped. represent
an expense of $3.50, and a number G
local camps of the society have decit
20 70 70
$4,000 local camps of Modern WOOD
men. and over 100000 members, it
anticipated that several colonies wi
soon be equipped in this way.
| The members and local camps of tn
society have voluntarily contributed
the sanitarium fund over $4,000. an
at the last national convention pc
manent tax of 10 cents per membe
was voted to the support of this worl
The last official Woodmen report
show that during the years 1S91-190
Inclusive, 14.5 per cent of the tot;
mortality. or 5,156 deaths, were char
led to tuberculosis, and that 1873 pc
cent of the total insurance losses
lJIoOC ytui vi pU,Ooc,OVp, iCouilN
from this cause AS the mortality e
lperience of the Modern Woodmen hi
been remarkably favorable, being bI
10 per cent of the expected at all ag'
under the National Fraternal congre:
table, death rate of but $40 p,
,000-or but ass per 1000, if the e
perience of the first five membersh
lyears be includeG--the much heavi
insurance losses inflicted upon 9th,
societies experiencing a higher me
tally may be conservatively appro,
mated.
: why Not Others, Too:
Which prompts this question: II Il
Woodmen society, with its eXceptio
; ally favorable mortality, finds it to
good business" as well as good fl
ternalism to fight consumption in til
way. why should not other fratern
societies, life insurance companies,
Dor organizations, the national and
: ternational church bodies, etc, find
profitable, from the viewpoint of bu
: ness or benevolence, or both, to tai
5 such action?
Each life saved to the Woodmen s
} ciety, by means of this sanitariu
$ will, it is stated, represent saving
81 ,700-the average amount of t
Woodmen policies in force-at an {
pense for treatment of approximate
, lone-twentieth of that sum. In t
broader sense, each life saved mea
the preservation to the family of
? head and bread-winner, and to t
= Estate of a useful, self-sustaining ci
zen.