Evening star., 1925-11-23
|NCURAB[ES HOME
ASKING FOR FUNDS
Seeks 47,00O Persons to
Give Dollar Each Toward
F.. Paying Debt.

Paying Debt.
An urgent Thanksgiving week plea
that 81 900 citizens of the National
Capital contribute 81 each to help
the Home for InCurables meet debt
Of S47 900 incurred in taking over
and operating its new home. at Wis
Consiu avenue and Upton street, was
made last night by officials of the
institution.
The home adheres to a rigid policy
of not giving benefit performances or
launching other financial enterprises
and depends. instead, on the generosi
tv of the public in response to appeals
through the press. Except for
$4,000 appropriation by Congress the
institution has no regular source of
revenue, it is explained.
II is the opinion of the board of
governors of the home that the out
standing deficit can he raised by small
contributions from large number
Of donors, and its appeal for funds
at this time is issued with that end
In View.
III new quarters.
The home moved nearly a year ago
from its old site on q street pur-
chased by Robert Woods Bliss to its
handsome new quarters, on Wiscon-
sin avenue. where it has nine and one
half acres OF land. The building is
claimed to be one of the finest inSti-
tutional structures in the city. with
every modern appliance and labor say
ing device to serve a capacity of 100
patients.
It is pointed out that the wear has
been frauSht with many difficulties.
due TO the change of quarters and
the ensuing adjustments in board.
personnel and staff to meet the de-
nlands of the larger building There Is
a total household now of 1876 persons.
the patients ranging so to 90 in num-
her, with "a servants, Il nurses and a
staff of five engineers
So FAR as caring for the sick and
needy IS concerned. particularly in the
care OF cancer patients. the home has
done notable work it is stated The
home is the only institution outside Of
those in Philadelphia, Chicago and At.
lanta, and with the exception of a
f"w beds in Baltimore. which takes
cancer patients. The cancer ward at
times has been filled to capacity with
sufferers in the last stages of the
dread malady, and the dura ton of
their abode with the home Conse-
GuentIy has been brief. in many cases
only a few weeks. The great number
OF deaths. it is pointed out. with the
great suffering preliminary thereto.
has subjected the nurses and staff to
severe strain. II is said the past
year has been one OF the most trying
in the history of the home.
Expenses Higher.
The expenses of the new building
could not be estimated accurately
far in advance, and it has taken the
actual experience Of the past year to
approximate what the cost of opera
ton would be, those in charge state
The last year spent in the old home in
Georgetown cost $40 900. The home is
running close to $4,000 for the first
year in its new quarters.
The new building cost S513, 900 In
response to a public appeal. a total OF
$75.63710 was donated. Twenty-one
members of the board gave s33,0
There still remains debt of SAT 900,
however, the interest on which is more
than $1,000, despite the courtesy of u
bank in letting the home have the
money at per cent interest. The in
tereSt. all bills and all running eX-
penses of the home have been met as
they fall due.
\ few legacies have helped swell
the endowment fund, as they were
trust funds not available for running
expenses. Up to the time of the erec-
lion of the new building the board
had reserved every legacy for the
endowment fund, but later passed a
resolution permitting the use of free
legacieS for building purposes. The
last few leSacieS, ranging from 500
TO $500, have gone to the endown-
ment fund. however.
Need Public Support
I'VE need more public support" an
official of the home declared last
night. only a little more than 500
people, including donors of legacies,
have done anything for US. Now.
while we are most appreciative of
those who have given, In many cases
/ know at a sacrifice. and for the
money that patients have brought in
through their friends, we do feel justi-
ned in saying that in this city. with
population of more than half a mil
lion. there must be more than 500
peole who might give some help. Il
20 so far as to say there must be
1900 people who could give a dollar,
If no more, because they are well and
able TO be out and go where they
please.
or perhaps there is an equal num-
her OF people who are i'll, slightly or
seriously, but have the happiness of
being in their own homes with every
care and attention. You must realize
that in most of our cases, owing to
family circumstances and small
means, they are unable to be kept at
nome. md while we give them all the
comforts and attentions possible, their
coming TO us does mean "a separation
and a breaking up of the home All
this should be realized by those who
are able to sweep up and down every
day IN their cars. going home to
everything that makes life worth liv-
ing.
II know the terrible demands that
are made all the time, but | wish all
of those who have any sympathy
would just come to the home and go
through 1t and see the work we do
Resides what we do for the invaltis
themselves, we do still greater
work, | sometimes feel, in reliev-
ing the care worn, overworked. un-
happy useholds-husbands. wives,
mothers and children--of the care of
these suffering people in their own
little narrow quarters, in the heat of
Summer and the cold of Winter. and
In many cases where there is neither
money nor strength TO care for them.
Mother Was Burden
Il was so impressed by a daughter
whom I saw at the home, who said
10 me: If YOU had not taken my
mother in here. think should have
died Why | asked. was she such
a bad mother? No" she said. she
was not a bad mother at all. She