The Washington times., 1911-04-21
ASK CONTRIBUTIONS
TO CONTINUE STRAUS
PLANT SHORT TINE
Prominent Business Men
Argue Advantage for
Poor Children.

-Four days are left in which to OBJ
tain subscriptions sufficient to keer
open the baby milk plant established
by Nathan Straus until Congress can
act upon the Cameron bill providing
for Its operation by the United States.
II the Straus Laboratory is closed at
this time there is grave danger of its
never being reopened, and it's useful
ness to the babies of Washington
poor and its value as a governmental
scientific experiment station will have
been lost.
With these facts staring them In the
lace a number of men and women to-
day are endeavoring to secure support
that will obviate the necessity of clos
ing the doors of the laboratory on April
%. The situation was laid before a
number Of citizens by julius I. Peyser,
at meeting in the rooms of the Cham
Der of Commerce last night.
While II was also announced that
George NJ. Oyster would open at least
two baby milk depots on April Is. the
importance of keeping open the Straus
laboratory at the present time was
clearly brought out.
For Experiment Station.
Among those present were Drs. Z. c.
Schroeder and G. Lloyd Magruder. Both
urged the Importance OF continuing the
plant in order that the Government
might have in Washington an expert
ment station where the question of the
relative values OF pasteurized and raw
milk for infant feeding could be care
fully studied.
DR.. Magruder announced that Mr..
rOyster had nearly completed his ar
rangements to supply to rich or poor
parents modified, pasteurized, or reason
ably safe unheated milk under practi-
cally the same conditions that obtain
at the Straus laboratory. But as he
Is responsible for having included in the
Cameron bill, now before the House,
the provision for the laboratory's use
by the Government under the Surgeon
General Of the Public Health and Ma
rine Hospital Service, as a means of
studying the relative values Of pas
teurized and raw milk for infant feed
ing, and because the results of these
experiments would be transmitted TO
the people Of the whole country, DR..
Magruder Is insistent upon the impor-
tance Of keeping the laboratory 5,
until the Cameron bill can be passed.
w. II. Tufts also urged the educational
value Of the plant 10 the whole country.
That the bill will be passed within a
short time, Is the assurance which Mr..
Peyser has received from members of
Congress.
Seeking Subscriptions.
Those who will seek subscriptions to
the popular fund which in part, at least.
must be raised in the next four days
are the following: Mr.. and Mrs. W. T.
Carpenter. Miss Stanton. Mrs. Hobbin.
Miss Gertrude Lancaster. Charles Buett-
ner H. W. Davis, E. w. Oyster. W.
jerks, W. A. Wheeler, Miss HUrn, ]. H.
Thompson, W. H. Tufts Henry Irion.
DR.. Berezesky. Mr.. and Mrs. NJ. L. Van
Auken, Mrs. Julius 1. Peyser, Miss
Lydia Beirklin. Miss Brown, Miss John
son. F. L. Fishback. Mr., and Mrs. r. P.
Smith, L. F. Caverly, J. Castle Ridg-
way, ". H. Claflin. Mr.. and Mrs. Frank
Roach, Mr.. and Mrs. P. n. Walsh, DR..
Harry Kaufman. and Mrs. Wilkes.
The laboratory is under monthly eX-
pense of $500 without rent which is an
additional 500. The laboratory is feed
ing without charge 80 babies, or at the
rate OF a little more than s. month
per baby.
Mr.. Straus has put $4,000 into the
plant, and thinks now that ii time for
Washington or Congress to take over
the running expenses. Temporary re-
lief only is needed, for II is reasonably
certain that the United States will ac-
cept the gift from Mr.. Straus and main
tain It.
These are some of the arguments
which Washington business men may
expect to hear today and for the next
few days from these men and women,
as the result OF last nights meeting.