Putnam patriot., 1923-01-05
ROLL CALL FAILURE,
 RAISES MEAGRE $50
Most Thickly Populated Ward Gives Red Cross Only
 $500
Public Health Nursing Service In Daz-
 ger By Reduction of Revenue

ger By Reduction of Revenue
 With total receipts amounting tos less than S30, Putnam fell down badly on the annual Rcd Cross roll call, just finished n as complete way as George Baker president of the Put nam Red Cross Chapter, and his ss- sistants, could make it Residents of Ward One contributed less than S28. while those in Ward Three gave en- aetly So. Nothing was forthcoming from Wards Two and Four, doubtless chiefly because officers of the Red Cross Chapter were unable to secure workers willing to make the annual house to house canvass.
 Failure Affect, Nursing Service
 Practicany utter failure of tho drive for Red Cross Chapter members carries with it serious consequences. as 1t foreshadows the ultimate dizcon- tinuanee of the Public Health Nuss- ing service that has been paid for largely by the annual roll coll. Such consequence is to be deplorcd, for the tremendous value of the services rendered by Miss Ceeelia Lessard, Red Cross Nurse. are recognized by every thinking person, and are a boon to the sick and suffering among Putnam people of every race and creed. An l idea of the great loss 1t would be ts the good health of the city and the comfort of those who are i'll and re- ceive the nurses attentions, if the i Public Health Nursing Service had to be discontinued. may be gained by ointing out that in the past 1 1 months she has made 2,237 nursing visits. During that time she had BIO patients under her care.
 Nurse Cares For no Babies
 A total of 60 maternity cases re- ceiyed her ministrations and she cared for li0 babies This is only a small part of the volume of work performed by the nurse, and if one tries to inn agine the good that has accrued from this labor performed by the visiting nurse, then one will easily understand why the service IS of such great value to the city and it's people, and why it
 
 centage of local residents.
 No one seems to be able to place q finger on the exact reason why this years annual roll call failed so miser~ ably. Seemingly 1t IS not due to the efforts made by the officers of the Red Cross Chapter. They worked hard and long to organize a soliciting corps, but found very few willing to make the personal sacrifice necessary to perform a piece of public service of greatest possible value-ministering to the sick and needy of the city and providing nursing service to mothers and babies not in position financially to obtain such attentions. The resuls of the service has proven that fewer babies die in Putnam now as compared with the days when no such nursing service was available.
 Solicitors Obtain $
 The workers secured to canvass Ward Three made the house to house visits-and received total of &5. In Ward One the receipts were less than S25. In Wards Two and Four no workers could be found who were willing to undertake the task in hand. so the canvass was not made.
 Miss Katherine Byrne, chairman of the Red Cross Public Health Nursing Service, states that sl650 are nocsx- sary to pay for the nursing service. over and above the receipts. which usually amount to $70 or so each month.
 Depend on Roll Call
 To meet this sl650 expense. the roll call is depended upon to meet a gem erous portion of it. as 50 per cent of the annual Red Cross Chapter mem berships Is the local society's share Because the receipts this year were so very small, the chapters treasury must be drawn on heavily to maintain the nursing service. If this continues, it won't be long before the money on hand is gone, and then, unless more Is forthcoming, the services of the nurse must of necessity be dispensed with
 Officers of the Red Cross Chapter are discouraged because of the failure of the annual roll call drive, as well as the sale of Christmas seals, which netted less than $50.