The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-10-27
Modern Commercial Houses Fight
Disease Among Workers.
bNf FIRM RUNS A HOSPITAL

,.s White Plague Camp and Hasn't
lost Case in Three Years. Spe-
dial Doctor and Trained Nurse
PART of the Working Principle of
Some of the Big Houses.
NEW YORK.-Five years ago the
gor against tuberculosis was not
L,uch more than a dream in the
minds of few sociologists and sci
Intists. At present the mantle of
ruiab seems to have descended upon
Tho shoulders of the business houses
Z Ii New York city, not few of which
re carrying out programme of pre-
Fontion and cure on the ground of
bn1ightened commercial self-interest.
The modern business house, with
is special doctor, social worker,
rained nurse, and disease vacations
br tuberculosis camp features for the
benefit of the employees would have
nade the merchant of fifty years ago
throw up his hands. But such ap-
burtenances undreamed of in 1850
Ind considered highly radical" in
$50, have now" become part of the
working principles of some of the
most conservative business houses in
New York.
Start of Campaign.
The whole campaign, so far as
business enterprises is concerned, be-
gan not so many years ago from an
Unexpected incident during a meet
Ing of an employees benefit associa-
lion of one of the large dry goods
frms. This association, to which
practically all the men in the store
belonged, always paid $3.50 to an en-
Sployes family in case of his death.
A regular monthly meeting of the
association was to be held one even
ing, but that very morning one of
the officers suddenly collapsed at his
lesk. The doctor who was called
IN pronounced it case of "galloping
consumption, and said that the
mans one chance to live was to get
lway to some beneficial climate inn
nediately; otherwise he would be
Head in month.
Inception of the Idea.
At the meeting that night the case
sOt James X was discussed among
the men, One of them addressed the
meeting thus:
According to what this doctor
Pays the association will have to pay
IJames X a funeral fee next month.
PUT if he could get out to his cous-
ms ranch in Texas he might get
WELL Now, think that it would be
Icheaper for the association, as we'll
|aS pleasanter for James x, to send
MIN to Texas to get well than to pay
$-0O to his family to bury him"
The argument took the meeting by
storm. Inside of year and half
TIE SICK man was foreman of his
cousins ranch, the association had
saved over a hundred dollars and it
I'eTlalnly was much pleasanter" for
James X and his family.
Physician Means Saving.
having come off so successfully
with its first preventive work the as
Soclation went further. A large
amount was paid out every month
loF half-pay for those on the sick
isl Some one suggested that the
1en might recover a great deal faster
WIN proper care. So as the next
'ep the benefit association began
''"uIng trained nurse around to
'VV mat the men to whom they paid
'1e sick fee were being properly
la'ed for. This, too, proved a good
BUSINESS investment.
lie story of this firms benefit as
O'duon soon spread to other houses.
ne next move was to have the same
'O'A taken up by the firms them
yves rather than by the employ
o. A large uptown department
" ,0ie was the first to fall in line
's'e the reasoning was that the
'u'e suffered enough inconvenience,