Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-23

Have you bought a Red Cross holt
dav stamp? Ten cents worth? twenty
five cents worth?
fy-u haven't you are not addlng the
last little touch to your christmas
good cheer which so many business ana
professional men of the city are 20 40,
ING IN an effort to cooperate with the
greatest humanitarian society IN the
limited states in checking the spread OF
tuberculosis.
FULLY 10000 of these stamps were dis
tributed yesterday from the ofhces OF
C. A. Boothe, state president OF the
California Association for the Study
and Prevention of tuberculosis, To-
Gated in the Pacific Electric building.
Before the campaign is over it is hoped
that fully 100000 of these stamps may
have been distributed and that one or
them may have been pasted on every
letter of holiday greeting and every
holiday gift that goes through the
postofice of Los Angeles and of ad-
Joining cities.
Handled by Government
The stamps are a trifle larger than
the ordinary postage stamp sold by
the government and are handled much
in the same way, except that they DO
not serve as postage. The government,
however. at the request of the Red
society, caused these stamps to be
printed and furnished them for the pur-
pose of combating tuberculosis, con-
sidered the greatest known foe or
humanity, in the shape OF disease our
ing times of peace.
The stamps are printed in Yuletlde
colors-red and greenland bear the IN
scriptions Merry Christmas" and
"Happv New Year" 1t is expected
here, as has proved the case already
in San Francisco, that everyone Will
purchase a quantity of these stamps, a
dimes worth. or half dollars worth,
according to his means, and by past
ing them on letters and packages, as
sist in raising funds to combat and
attract attention to the dangers OF the
disease.
The idea has caught on in Los An
geles, according to Mr.. Boothe, with
unusual celebrity, and if enough volun-
teer forces can be secured to distribute
these stamps, by undertaking to dls-
pose of them through various channels
the hope is held that full 100000 may
be sold.
This would result in the raising of
$1,000 with which to continue the work
of the local "helping station" located
at 727 Buena Vista street, which is
maintained for the benefit of INDECENT
tubercular patients. At present this
helping station is only able to furnish
free advice to sufferers, pointing out
the right methods of living and of
dieting, but is entirely unable to ex-
tend any support to these sufferers,
scores of whom are wholly unable to
can a livelihood.
Work for Nothing
No one attached to the local sta
ton, including the entire medical staff,
is allowed a penny for his services,
with the sole exception of visiting
nurse, half of whose salary is paid for
from the funds of the Los Angeles So
ciety for the Prevention of Tubercu-
Iosis, the other half being donated by
the doctors of this city.
The Importance of immediate and
emphatic action being taken toward
combating the disease cannot be mag
nified, Mr.. Boothe states, as witnessed
bv but one instance, that of a family
of husband and wife and five children,
everyone of whom is a victim of tuber-
culosis and not one of whom is capable
of earning a livelihood.
MANY merchants have volunteered
their services in assisting to distribute
the stamps, one of the significant
features of yesterdays sale being a
voluntary offer from the Western
Wholesale Drug company to gratuitous-
" canvass the entire drug trade of the
city for stamp orders. It is expected
that today other large mercantile con-
Germs will come forward with similar
offers and that many persons interested
in humanitarian movements will offer
their services to canvass for the sale
of the stamps in large lots.
The Broadway department store has
had the stamps on sale for a week and
reports a large demand for them on
the part of the holiday shoppers. Other
big department stores are expected to
aid in the work