The New York herald., 1921-11-28
Rural Community Needs.
One Is Better Medical, Surgical and
Dental Care.

TO THE New York HERALD: Recently
you printed letter asking for sugges-
tions as TO what deposition might be
made of 100000 for the benefit Of the
small community in which the writer
lives. Speaking as one who has been
led to consider the charitable needs OF
the rural territory Of New York State
would comment as follows upon the five
suggestions made by the writer:
First-There Is a real need for some
scholarship fund TO be available to chill
dren who are obliged to leave school
before completing high school and fire.
quently even before completing gram
mar school. Many of our most promis-
ing young people are compelled to leave
school between the ages OF fourteen and
sixteen, and many more between the
ages Of sixteen and eighteen, who with
further education would be OF much
wider usefulness to the community dur
ing their adult years. 1t seems to me
that to few better uses could be put
sum such as that Indicated than to
establish such scholarship fund In the
hands of wise trustees to provide grad
and high school scholarships. College
scho larships are already available in
considerable number. Valuable sugges-
tions as to how such a fund could bes'
be administered could be obtained from
the Committee for Vocational Scholar
ships, 265 Henry street. New York.
Second-The leaving of any consider
able fund to be used for Christmas dona-
tions would seem of doubtful value. A
somewhat extended experience in deal
ing with the poor leads to the conclusion
that at Christmas time the poor are apt
TO have an overdose of benevo'en al
though they may suffer seriously from
lack of necessities during the rest OF
the year. One can safely leave to the
private initiative of churches, clubs and
individuals provision for Christmas cheer
for poor families. However. there should
be in every community some organiza-
ton of these forces and clearing OF
the names of families to be helped, so
that undue dupr may not occur
and so that all needy families may share
in the good will of the season.
Third--There Is no greater need in
rural communities of New York than
more scientific medical. surgical and
uef1NHl care tfldn lS uSudIiy ObsahdDi''
There are but few physicians practising
in rural territory. Those few are driven
by the demands made upon them so they
have little time for study. and as they
are working away from the centres OF
medical research their opportunities for
the practice of newer methods Of treat
ment are limited, and so the people in
the rural communities are not able to
secure the most modern scientific and
specialized treatment for their ailments
such as city people enjoy. An endowed
bed or beds in some such hospital as
that at Albany, to which needy indivd-
uals from the rural territory could be
sent for diagnosis and treatment, would
seem a practical outlet for ones philan-
thropic desires.
| Fourth--The deciding of n homestead
as an institution for old ladies does not
seem particularly desirable. In the first
place. an institution costs n great deal
of money to operate: II Is frequently
difficult to secure the right kind OF
superintendent. so tie desired home
spirit is lacking old people brought
together in an institution are not sur
rounded by wide diversity of interests
and life Is apt to become very monot-
onous. Less money In the form of
boarding care. II carefully administered.
might settle each old lady as a boardcr
IN comfortable ramiiy home where NIL