The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-23

ta) Childrens Aid Work:
 l. The proper care of dependent chil- dren, mothers and homes.
 ?. Adequate visiting service to discover all available facts concerning neglected children, broken down homes, vicious sur roundings, etc. and to inspect homes into which children have been received or adopted
 3. Means to provide equipment for cen tral receiving home ant proper homeike care for children there resident, that tn Y may be glad and childlike while wards If the city.
 (b) General Service.
 l. Money to purchase relief of the pressing want or destitution. however caused, whether in individuals or families.
 ?. Well trained visitors to study every case and to cooperate with the unfort,i- nate for permanent upbuilding, without rauperization.
 g. Sufficient space properly arranged, so that humiliation of applicants by avoidable publicity may not occur.
 1. Means of grouping families that need continued and sustained assistance. so that such aid may tend to awaken as much self reliance as possible, as well as providing constant supervision in the most fruitful and economical Way. A Neighborhood House should be the center with a playground and highly trained
 
 60 Tuberculosis Relief. l. Discovery and reinforcement of fam flies attacked by tuberculosis; securing proper employment. necessary equipment for fresh air, nutritious diet, etc. ?. Relieving the incipient consumptive in the sanatorium to free him of the anS- iety that pulls him away to take care for his loved ones, when he needs continued sanatorium protection
 3. Founding farm colonies for black and white families respectively, where de- pendence caused by tuberculosis might be economically overcome, and discharged patients held till recovery is made per manent.
 f. Support of thorough going county nursing system. to carry the gospel of fresh air, to uncover hidden cases of tuberculosis. to bring the aid of the health officers to the badly housed fam fly and to prevent the spread of the disease by segregating consumptives where possible and necessary in their homes.
 5 Hastening the growth of an adeauat,, hospital system for care of all advanced | or apparently incurable cas of consump- tion, both white and negro. c. Provision of a colony or sanatorium for incipient negro tuberculosis. !. Provision of day camps for tuberu- lar or anaemic children. with open air otHoolS, taught DN the DOarQ or euuCa- | ticn.
 S. Generous support of the existing san atorium for incipient cases among white people.
 This last point is so placed because | if already is a fact and involves all l the others, if we are to do the work l in a strong. broad, effective way l do not speak merely of what we have but also of what we ought to have and what We easily might have. if Birmingham woke up to her need her wealth. her op- poftunity, her responsibility. i Pecause there is much to do, many are doing practically nothing Because they say appeals are so ire dGent, many give out a srudging and mil croscopic dole
 And yet most of the things above enum-
 erated should be supported by public taxes. Taxes are low he.e, and it is little | indeed that volunteer taxation can add for the succor of Christs little ones Gay not, without offense ask whether the religious motive Is In oar so-called "char- l ity'? These are taxes We owe both to the city of Birmingham and the city of God
 Consider now the wealth of Birming- ham.
 | l. What do we spend on luxury? That Is fair question, and the answer shows that Birmingham is wealthy city. l we are SDtnulnS millions on luNurX, Think of the theatres we support, the theatre tickets We buy, the suppers and the flowers and the taxicab or auto all involved in the theatre party. Then l place opposite that annual sum what the family or the individual pays to God for His needy ones I do not arr gue against such expenditures, but appeal for square deal. Surely 1t 1 isn't just to pay more for amusement l than for our dying neighhOri l Or think of the money spent on beau I tiful dresses, feminine and masculine, 1 by those whose dole for charity" Is, I as I said before. microscopically small. Not that dress should be neglected, but
 that the poor must not be neglected. Or consider the holiday and vaca- tion expenditure. the trips to Europe,
 to the mountains. to the seaside, the money squandered in great hotels be- l cause others do the same; the time and l energy spent in pleasure while at home.
 the workers for the DOT are struggling | against overwhelming needs with in- adequate and paltry support Then there are the cigar bills, the | automobiles (very long bills theseD, the
 club lunches and dinners, the unneces-
 sary servants the delicacies that are
 costly, the food that is wasted, and
 offset all these things with the cost
 of bearing the burdens that crush out | l Speaking particularly now of the fight against tuberculosis. 1t Is clear | that 1t cannot go on unless generously supported every day in the year. The expense is constant. A yearly donation
 is nothing without constant remem-
 brance. Where dollars have been given hundreds must be given. l The task will widen and become more
 and more costly until the enemy is con quered But charity gifts uninteli- gent bestowals of little money. must be l exchanged for personal interest. under
 standing, and an interest that holds 365 days in the year.
 l And the same is true of all service. | What can answer the need but wise
 and fervent religious passion. applied Christianity, wearing well and working
 always, with fixed principle and loving
 faith and wisdom? In the long run this is
 no more than enlightened sefshness. The
 more we love our neighbor the better
 we've serve ourselves.
 But when 1t comes to pressing individual
 needs upon the public. what is that but
 exploiting the breaking heart making a parade of sorrow? Men ought not to re-
 quire that! The sufferings disclosed at
 dispensary or office sanatorium must
 not be published I hate to say how
 many free cases we handle, for 1t hu-
 initiates the recipient of aid. Never a week goes by when we do not need gifts
 to succor families attacked by tubercu- l losis It is last resort for us to make descriptive appeals for these. Is not the
 luxury of doing good sufficient reward for its cost? Is it not enough that the
 association always can use more money l a apd fxxax fc in,