New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-04
The Tribune S
Fresh Air Fund

With the week ending to-day the
Tribune Fresh Air Fund comes to the
end of the first half of its season. In
the FIVE weeks beginning June 20 few
more than 800 children and mothers
have tasted the benefits of the country
through the assistance of the fund.
Possibly the best indication of what
the work of the Fresh Air Fund has
meant to the children of the teuements
is the fact that all during the present
week-during the days when people
were dying in scores because of the
heat here in the city-the fund had
continually more than 1900 boys and
girls out in the country, away from the
terrors of their homes.
New Situation Confronts the Work
Nearly four-ff.hs of the children
to whom the fund has given vacations
up to the present time this summer
have passed those vacations at the
funds Fresh Air homes. The other
fifth have been entertained by private
families in the country. These proper
tons show that a new situation con-
fronts the work this year.
In average years the relative proper
ton of children received for vacations
in Fresh Air homes and private fam
lilies is, to adopt the phrase of the day,
"fifty-ffty." This summer two in
fiuences are cutting into the work of
the fund among the people OF the coun-
try. The first of these is the wide
spread activity in connection with the
Red Cross; the second the fear Of IN
fantile paralysis.
In the towns and villages and small
cities where ordinarily the Tribune
Fund is able to interest the residents
in the children of the tenements, the
people who would naturally put through
a campaign to have the community en-
terrain party Of Fresh AIRS feel
that their Red Cross activities are tax
ing up all the time they have to give
10 a public movement. tlt VIII be uh-
derstood. of course, that this IS mere
statement of facts and that no crltl-
cism is implied here The result is
that many we'll organized Fresh AR
committees have determined 10 re-
main inactive this summer, and also
that efforts to organize others have
frequently failed.
ON the other hand, where committees
have undertaken the work this season
thew have found that hundreds OF ram
lilies who have been accustomed TO en-
terrain Fresh Airs" would not do so
This vaar because of their fear that an
other epidemic would sweep New YORK
before the summer was over. For this
fcar there has been absolutely no basis
except the panic which has carried over
from last year Cases Of infantlle
paralysis in the city this summer have
been negligible.
When this fear was encountered
early in the season, 1t was hoped thsI
il would wear away as the days passed
and no signs of an epidemic appeared
but this has mot been generally the
case.
Heavier Expense on Fund
In order to get the necessary work
done this summer, in view OF THIS Pc
culiar situation, the fund has had TO
resort to the eXpedient or giving the
greater number of its proteges vacations
in the Fresh Air homes. The vacations
thus provided have been and are good
vacations, but giving them IN this way
puts a much greater expense upon the
Fund.
Although exact figures as. to costs
are not obtainsble at this time, IL ID
probable that the 500 vacations so far
provided have used up all the funds
given by the public for the work 70
date. Ii is hoped that the public will,
however realize the situation which
confronts the Fund and make its con-
tributions the more liberal so as to
cover the increased expenses OF the
work this year
Contributions to The Tribune Fresh Air Fund
Previously acknowledged ...............s Wy sot -
Arthur Curtiss James ..,,.,......''3'.' IVVV'VO