Arizona republican., 1915-07-25
Sanitorium for Pythians

N- reside in the city of Albuquerque N
 M.. and who hold membership in \ Grand Domains outside of N. M. The committee at thIs time has mempeI ship of S4 coming from 27 of the 55 Grand Domains of the Or
 der, and has for it's purpose the
 promotion and erection of a sani- torium for the treatment of members of the order afflicted with tubercu- losis. About 90 per cent of the com mittee are, or have been, health- seekers themselves and the need for ! an institution of this kind is perhaps more apparent and convincing to them than to members living out side the boundaries of the southwest. The matter was presented to the Supreme Lodge at its meeting in August 1914 and was by that body referred to the several Grand Do- , mains for consideration and action. and it will doubtless be definitely and finally settled at the next meeting of the Supreme Lodge which will be held in August 1916. Supreme Chancellor Young and many of our present Supreme Lodge officers and , Sup. Reps. are actively engaged in l preparing a sane. feasible plan upon which this institution can be estab-
 lished. and this plan will be pre- scented to the Supreme Lodge at the next meeting. Consequently, this committee is not desrous at this time to suggest any definite plan
 further than to state that in our judgment the sanitorium must be erected, maintained and controlled by the Supreme Lodge in order to in- sure the greatest good to the great
 est number. This committee has no
 personal scheme to promote. no par ticular point or location to boost, and can not be expected to derive any
 personal benefit from the sanitorium. as our present membership will either
 be well or dead by the time the in- stitution could be erected. The com
 mittee's interest in this matter is
 prompted exclusively by a sincere unselfish desire to see a much need ed relief extended to those members of the order who are not able to procure proper care for themselves. | Every expense this committee incurs in placing this matter before the or
 der at large is met by the members themselves. with no outside assis 1 tance whatever. No statement or suggestion will issue from this committee that is not substantiated by actual facts and our hope of ultimate success lies in tplacing these actual facts before the membership of the order. relying upon their desire to carry out in practical way the principles taught in. theory al our altars. We believe that when the facts are known by the membership in general, the relief will be extendedat once.
 Hundreds of our members come iannually to the high altitude country lseeking relief from tuberculosis Many lack sufficient funds to effect a cure and must either seek employment or return home In either case they are soon numbered with the silent army of departed brothers. and their lives could have been saved with an in-
 stitution for their care and treatment. The order in these southwestern do-
 mains is simply powerless to meet
 the demands for relief and under no fair presumption should they be eN-
 pected to do so. The Lodge back home" pays the amount of legal
 benefits due the member, and he Is | then left to the tender mercies of
 public charity that is already over
 worked.
 He is looked upon almost as
 beast rather than a human being. yet at the same time he has creden-
 tials showing his good standing" in
 the great order Knights of Pythias.
 Are these facts?" you ask. Yes.
 positive facts, and there is perhaps
 not member of thss committee but who will verify the statement by cit ing specific cases observed. It is
 this needless loss of life for lack of adequate care, that so forcibly i'm
 pressed us with the need for relief.
 By no means all members who come
 west for tuberculosis need aid from the order. and free care and treat
 ment would be necessary for only
 relatively small percentage of those who come.
 But those who have sufficient , funds for their needs, will gladly enter a fraternal institution. paying
 the entire cost and treatment, as ii
 would surround them with fraternal
 associations, brothers instead of
 strangers, and relieve them of the lonesomeness so common with the disease. Sanatorium treatment is
 recognized today by authorities on
 tuberculosis. as superior in every way to home treatment and together with
 proper altitude, dry climate and ideal weather conditions is unquestionably
 an essential and important factor in
 effecting cure. By establishing sanatorium Pythianism can offer to every member every possible resource
 in fighting the great white plague.
 All who have thought broadly about
 the matter recognize that it is posi-
 lively necessary. for fraternal organ 1 izations to enter some branch of
 philanthropic work. in order to jus
 tify their continued existence, and some organizations, and even some trade unions now have institutions such as we propose. The Typo graphical union with only 10000 l members is doing a great work with it's sanitorium in Colorado. Both the
 Modern Woodmen and the Royal League have sanatoriums for their members, and these are saving the Hives of hundreds of their members