The evening world., 1909-02-22
GAS REBATES AID
WAR TO BLOT CUT
WHITE PLAGUE
Many Consumers Join in Plan
& of Charity Organization
i Society.
.ALL CLASSES ASSIST.
Director WELLER Speaks Hope
/. fully of Prospects for
the Fund.

The novel plan OF the Committee on
the Prevention of Tuberculosis OF the
Charity Organization Society in at
tempting to secure a substantial por.
ton OF the sloOOOo0O which the gas
monopoly has got to pay back TO the
people OF New York City Is attracting
y widespread attention. Assignments OF
gas rebates are coming in with every
mail and from all classes OF people.
/, Lawrence WELLER director Of the Com
mittee for the Prevention OF Tuberculo-
sis, who originated this novel plan
prospects of securing a substantial fund
from this source for the extension OF
the tuberculosis campaign In this city.
I'VE have every reason for encourage
ment Every mai! brings In number
81 assignments. The number Is getting
larger every day. We are enllstng the
support OF all sorts of people and socie-
ties and responses have been most cor
dial and encouraging"
Gould Danish II Forever.
3 'Tf we had the money" said Mr.. Veil
der, I'VE would begin a war which would
Danish tuberculosis from the City OF
New York forever, 1t would cos; less
to exterminate tuberculosis from the
City of New York than the disease is
costing the city every year.
The death rate from tuberculosis Is
Just as high to-day as 1t was In 1902.
The reason for this is not far 10 SEEK;
the sources of infection in the tenement
houses still remairi-namely, the ad'
vanced cases. The records OF the De-
partment OF Health show over 23,nO
cases OF this kind in the Greater City.
AS you know, only a portion Of them
are known and are recorded. That
there are $1,000 of them in the tenement
houses OF New York Is conservative
estimate,
In recent examination OF a linz
tied number of families in which We
knew that there was one sufferer from
the disease, It developed that in Of per
cent. OF the families the childrn were
infected. 1t Is safe to assume that this
is pretty general condition through
out the city. Nothing, however, IS be-
Ing done to discover this situation or to
remedy it after It is once found 80
long as these 5000 advanced cases stay
in their tenement homes we may ex-
pect the losses from this disease which
occur each year. The patient cannot be
adequately treated under such condi-
aons. The only safeguard for the COM
munity Is their removal to hospitals.
Insufficient Accommodations.
A. 'There are, however, absolutely insult
fcient hospital accommodations for the
consumptive poor. With 5000 cases In
the city there are but LOO beds-less
than per cent.
Moreover, there are not adequate ac-
commodations for the early cases. The
Z only free institution Is a State hospital
at Ray Brook, and tina, Is overcrowded,
with waiting list Of over 200. The re-
/ suit Is that young man who dlscov.
! srs that he mas tuberculosis in the early
stages and Is advised by his physician
that he can be cured II he goes away
! 10 a sanitarium, unless he has the
money is condemned to an early grave.
while he is waiting to get into Ray
Brook his disease so progresses that
] he ceases to be an early favorable case.
and becomes moderately advanced
case, and Is no longer suitable for
sanitarIum treatment, but must go to a
hospital o. day camp.
at seems to me that the time has
now come for graphing with this sit
uaton, for remedying these conditions
All that stands in the way OF stamping
out the disease is the lack of money
We know what needs to be done. The
programme is laid out, but we are
stopped because We have not funds.
Money Would Solve II,
with adequate funds this committee
would he in position TO carry on a
campaign which would bring about the
building Of hospitals for advanced cases
is sufficient numbers and without undue
delay, 10 take out the 5000 cases now
In the tensment-houses and remove
these sources OF infection. II would
also be able to carry on a campaign to
secure sufficient accommodations for the
early cases and stop the disease at its
starting point. II would be able to so
extend It's educational work az to arouse
every member Of the community TO the