Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-19
BAKER TELLS OF PLANS
FOR NEGRO CONSERVATIVES
President Of Antituberculosis Asso.
citation Describes Scheme for
SanatOrium.
ONLY $4,000 HAS BEEN RAISED
Present Plan Is to Buy 2OO-Acro
Farm, Located in Central Section
OF the State, and Build Two Units
With Forty Beds.

Captain w. w. Baker, OF Hallsboro.
who has acted as sponsor for much of
tho public health Legislation in the
state, and who is president OF tho Vir-
ginia Anti-Tuberculosls Association,
stated Yesterday? when seen at the
onices OF the association that the plans
for building the sanatorium for negro
consumptives were daily being per-
fected.
Tho alarming death ratio from this
disease among the negroes has been
giving us concern for several years.
said Captain Baker. land we have con-
sioered various means OF handling the
problem with over two deaths among
the colored race TO one among the white
ana with the negroes living in such in
innate daily contact with the white
race, II has been evident TO us thar
PROVISIONS must be made for the negro
u we arc TO meet At all ADEQUATELY the
problem OF the control Of tuberculox,u
WHITE PERSONS ALONE
HAVE PLACE OF ttET'uEAr
With negro death rate OF 21o.5 pcr
100000. and n white rate or lle5. w.
nave In the State 2l5 hospital beds for
THIS disease. and all OF these are for
white patients. The INTERPOLATION OF tho
races is much moro intimate than is
realized. SO that this death rate seri-
ously affects our homes II was epti
mated that in 1912 in one OF our cities
sixty-siH colored women died of this
disease. and Of the s!xty-six women
forty-f four died practically In harness in
white homes. as cooks. maids and lnun-
dresses.
Our association cannot meet com.
beds for the segregation OF the colorcd
|consumptircs. II must. however he mct
in part. and at once. Our original Mar
was to raise about $1,000. buy n farm
and build one unity OF twenty beds for
negro consumptives. We have in hand
about $4,000. but this proves entirni,
inadequate for the work we .rish 20 do
we now desire TO raise $4,000. buv n
farm OF about 200 acres. and during tho
summer. build at least two units. or
forty beds. We have under consdera-
tion three pieces OF property. We wish
10 locatc in part OF the State Access
sible to oil sections, and az near a rou
road as Is feasible farm In Prince Ed
ward County seems to meet these re-
quirements and can be bought for about
our price. 4 consumptivc sanatorium
located on that particular property
would not meet with objections from
the neighbors
NEGROES THEMSELVES
RAISED $1,000 OF FUND
or the $4,000 already in hand $4,000
was raised by the negroes themselves.
we now plan to organize In each county
OF the State, and In each city, and raise
the remainder OF the $4,000 Several
counties have already pledged definite
amounts. From the co-operntion w,
have already received. We do not feel
that there ia the least doubt but that
the people OF Virginia will stand he
hind us In this effort to begin work on
one or the States greatest problems
Any one who has had a aervant to de-
velop this disease. will realize the sense
or helplessneSs and hopelessness which
the total lack OF accommodations for
the negro race gives one when brought
face TO face with the necessity of car
Ing for negro consumptive.
Letters arc frequently received by
our association asking whore the negro
can go for treatment. and piteous APP
peals arc often made to us to find some
place for consumptlve of this race
That the negroes themselves are aware
OF the urgency Of the situation Is an
parent from their eager co-operation. II
only remains for us to realize that no
effective work can possibly be done
against this diseRse. which does not
consider the problem as whole, re-
CARELESS OF race or condition, and which
does not meet the urgent needs as they
arise with unselfsh determination to rid
our Commonwealth OF this plague"
-----------o--------