Omaha daily bee., 1919-11-09
WHY NOT COORDINATE OUR
CHARITIESs

ing the Jour years Oh Wotiu ConUiCt III tue way
of war activities and the lessons we should
learn from this experience form the subject
matter of 4 suggestive editorial in the last
Ladies' Home Journal, which every COM
munity may we'll take to itself. We are re-
minded how the war work taught US to give
for the relief of other people to an extent that
proved surprising, and that what we have done
for others must open up realization of what We
ought to do for our own.
"The time has now come" we are admon-
ished "for re-allocation of our giving. Not
that the need overseas has ceased or is not
great We all know that it is. For years to
come we must unquestionably help with money
and food, and we will But both of these will
come through government loans of money to
the needful governments, and the supply offood
through the national and world agencies. The
day has come, however, when the hand of indi-
vidual giving should turn nearer home. Our
cities towns, villages, every community, large
and small, have their immediate needs-needs
that we have. neglected while we gave of our
means toward the more immediate job of win
ming the war. We are not selfish if now we
turn to those home needs and see to it not only
that they are restored to their effective financial
basis but that, with our awakened sense of
larger giving, we expand them and give more
than we did before. Our vision has grown and
with that vision should come larger giving"
Stated in a different way, the problem is
thus described: Let us give America an in
ming. few can give to all needs, American
and foreign. But not the majority. The per-
son Of average means can give once and in only
one direction, and that direction should now
for season be American. 1t is time for us to
go back and pick up the loose threads that we
dropped before the war and bring the ends to-
gether and see that our own agencies for the
benefit of our own people have the means
wherewith to function to their fullest ability"
Coming back to Omaha for the application,
the outstanding need here, as has been more
than once pointed out by The Bee, is better
coordination of all our different charitable in
stitutions and welfare activities both public and
private. The sum total of money, time and
effort which can be devoted to these things is
strictly limited and waste of funds or labor is
sheer robbery Of the deserving and unfortu-
nate whom the people want to help. We have
too much duplication of expensive machinery
and too many overlapping fields of relief work.
too much sending from pillar to post, too little
centralized responsibility. And this is bound
to be so and to continue so long as the job is
divided at random between different authorities
as it is today.
In the matter of the care Of the helpless
sick or injured we have our most fragrant ex-
ample. The county runs costly department
for medical service to the poor through the
county physician and his assistants and the
county hospital The city maintains preten-
tious health department with staff of inspee-
tors, field men, laboratory testers, police sur
geons, three separate contagious disease hos
ptals The state provides hospital in con-
nection with its teaching of medicine as part of
the state university. The school district has a
medical officer and corps of trained nurses
for schoolroom observation and attention. In
addition we have score Of privately y-conducted
hospitals maintained in part by public contribu-
tions, in return for which same charity patients
are cared for, or free dispensaries maintained
for those requiring casual medical attention.
Over and above all this, we have useful or
ganization furnishing nursing in the home for
those who can not afford such expert help, and
giving instruction in health and hygiene as
conditions warrant. To raise the money an
nually for this community work, the women of
Omaha, shame be to the men, stand on the
street corners and beg of every passerby.
Why should the task OF organizing the
health and sanitary forces of this community,
financing them on business basis, and making
the machinery fit together as well-working
whole, be longer deferred? Omaha's physicians
and surgeons stand among the highest in the
country in reputation for ability They have
shown themselves generally most public-spir-
tied. They we'll know the necessity for carry
ing out some such program. They should take
the lead through their own society or associa-
ton and not stop until the end is achieved And
then our other charities, those that have to do
with relief of women and children, or the aged,
the detectives, the down-and- d-outers, and Of all
who need helping hand along other lines, and
the various agencies designed to prevent dest-
tuition and suffering can be similarly correlated
and made ito function to their fullest ability"
so far as the funds generously made available
will permit.