The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-25
All Societies Would Pool Eff
forts in Making One
Big Drive
FOR PLEDGES TO
WAR CHEST"FUND
Between $4,000 and $4,000 Year
Thus Subscribed for Duration of the
War Would Obviate All Further So
icitation in Brattleboro

That the task of financing Brattle-
boro's share of the various war reliefs
will be put on a systematic basis for
the remainder of the war is a strong
probability.
Representatives of the various or
CARNATIONS which have raised funds
during the past year agreed at an in
formal conference this morning that
the plan ought to be adopted, and i'm
mediatelv upon the completion of the
present knights Of Columbus drive
mass meeting viii be called for the pur-
pose eff explaining the proposition to
the people of the town and forming
thoroughly representative organization
to take charge of the work.
The question comes up at this time
for the reason that the finance COM
mittee of the local Red Cross chapter
is faced with immediate necessity OF
providing further funds for the chap
ter S work From April Z, 1917, when
| the chapter was organized, to Jan. !,
! 1918, its receipts from all sources
amounted to $l2,731.S3. During the
same period disbursement+p practical
| IL all for material-were 81 ,359.93.
At the present time the chapter in
debtedness amounts to more than what
| il has III the treasury And the call for
material continues unabated. At least
ST 500 a month viii be needed to con-
tinue the work which Brattleboro's s pa
triotic women are doing.
The Red Cross committee is of the
opinion that it is time to put the local
chapter beyond dependence upon gifts,
drives, entertainments, dances, etc. ii
the work is to be continued-and Of
course it must be eOntinued-some plan
must be formulated TO provide the
chapter with a regular income sufficient
to its needs. The only feasible plan
seems to be q system of monthly
pledges.
IN this connection these questions
naturally arise: What about other war
reliefs that are certain to call for help
next year and must certainly be helpedl
Shall they be left to depend upon the
energies of the few who are especially
interested in them? What about the
Red Cross War Fund that must be
raised the coming spring in addition
to the money for local Red Cross needs
These questions, coming to the mind
Of the Red Cross finance committee,
prompted it to bring to the attention
of other organizations the proposition
OF forming an association whose duty
! shall be to raise by monthly subscrip
! tions, made for the duration of the war
. enough money to meet all Legitimate
calls that Will be made upon Brattle
bore for war relief work, IL being def
; nitely understood that these pledges
, viii take the place CT all other forms
CT solicitation. This idea is not new. i
I is working successfully in Syracuse
y. Y, where it originated, and othe
:, towns and cities are adopting it, nota
bly, Springfield, Mass, where as busy
!. a man as Fred T. Ley, head of the lie,
: Construction Co., has taken charge o
> the organization
! Since last April Brattleboro has con
tributed to war work close to $4,000
which is at the rate of $24 900 a year
i That a greater amount viii be needet
I in the future is shown by what the Ia
: cal Red Cross chapter demands eae
:, month without taking into considera
!. tion the rapidly increasing cost of ma