The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-28


uonal and loca! gatherings are also
used to considerable extent.
Used In Denmark.
Stamps were first used for anti tu-
berculosis work IN Norway and Swe-
den in 1904 At Copenhagen, In the
fall of 1904, a committee OF fifteen met
to discuss plan whereby an idea foi
Holboel, post-office official, might be
put into. practice.
On the recommendation OF this com
mittee it was decided to print 1000. 900
stamps and to Seli4them at oere each
tabout one-half a cent?, the proceeds
TO go toward the erection of a Chill
dren's Seaside Tuberculosis Hospital
similar to Sea Breeze Hospital, az
Coney Island. The commission pro.
vided for profit of about cents on
each sheet of fifty stamps for the local
post Offices, but so enthusiastic did the
officials become over their work tina.
they sold and handled all the stamps
and refused 10 accept any reward. AT
the end of the season, which lasted
only from December to January g. IL
was found that 4,113,000 stamps had
been sold, &C about two for every man
woman and child in Denmark. The
comfortable sum of $4,000 kroner
(about $2o,oo0) was realized for the
hospital. The receipts last year from
these stamps In Denmark were five
times as large.
The Danish stamp was really the in
spiration for the Red Cross stamp II
America. In July. 1907, Jacob Riis
published the story of the Danish
stamp and called upon the people i,
this country to adopt some such device
TO support the national anti-tubercu
losis crusade. Because of lack OF
funds and other pressing obligations
the National Association for the Study
and Prevention of Tuberculosis could
not accept Mr.. Riis's challenge and no
the responsibility of undertaking SO
new d venture.
The seed sown by Jacob Riis might
have died had not little group of
women in. Delaware, headed by Miss
Emily p Bssell,. seen the possibilities
of a Christmas stamp. For the pur-
pose of gaining support for a State
anti-tuberculosis campaign in Della
ware the scheme was launched, and
within three weeks. from December Z
to Christmas, nearly 100000 stamps
were sold in Delaware, Philadelphia
and Eastern Pennsylvania and nearly
$4,000 was realized for the tuberculosis
fight.
On National Basis.
The leaders in this sale were closely
allied with the Red Cross Society OF
Delaware which had taken an active
part in the movement. The American
Red Cross also gave the Delaware eN-
pertinent. its support, and the directors
of that organization decided to try
the sale of Christmas tuberculosis
stamps on national basis. After
some hesitation about the amount OF
stamps that would be needed, an or
der for 100000 stamps of n design by
Howard Pyle was given So success
full was the sale, however, that wher
the central committee at Washington
began TO count up on Christmas Day
1908, it was found that 3o,o0O,00l
stamps had been printed, 2S,o0o,ooo solo
to local agents, and nearly 100000
We're sold at cent each, yielding &
profit of about $4,000, after all eS-
penses had been paid. That this re
suit should have been attained witt
practically no previous knowledge OF
experience in handling the sales, anc
with little or no organization, proved
from the outset the tremendous pop
ularity OF the idea.
In laoS the American Red Gross
printed the stamps and sold them dl-