The Coolidge examiner., 1935-12-20

money is lacking. The secretary tells me that
if instead of one there were dozen, two dozen,
such exhibitions, the country might be aroused
from one end to the other to action that would
result in the passing of proper sanitary laws
and the building of sanatoria and dispensares
for the sufferers, and speed greatly dimin-
ished mortality from this cause. Last year the
funds at the disposition of the association aggre-
gated $4,000, more. 1t might have spent
100000 to advantage, but millionaire came
forth to endow it,
mo millionaire is wanted to do it. 1t were
far better done by the people themselves, for
only in doing it will they learn that which is of
more value than preaching and dOctoring-name-
ly, how to help themselves Why not try the
Danish plan next Christmas? Or at any other
season, if it were thought best, though l do not
think tnat would be best The season of good
will opens hearts and minds and pocketbooks as
nothing else can, and takes the growl out of it,
if there is any. Five years of that sort of cam
paigning, and we ought to be on the home
stretch.
Il hold no brief for the tuberculosis Commit
tee, and / am not pleading for it. But l am
pleading for the half-mion poor souls all over
the land whose faces set today toward an
inevitable grave because of ignorance, needless
ignorance and for the friends who grieve with
them and for them"
Among those who read Riis's story was Miss
Emily Bissell, secretary of the Delaware Red
Cross, who trying to raise money for a tu-
berculosiS pavilion for children in her state and
who saw in the sale of Christmas seals a solu-
ton to her problem. Through the aid of pub
licity in the nOw-eXtinct Philadelphia North
American the sale of seals at Christmas time
that year so successful that $4,000 was
raised, enough to build the pavilion.
AS result of this success, Miss Bissell was
able to induce the authorities of the American
Red Cross to undertake a nationwide sale Of
tuberculosis Christmas stamps in 1908. Influ-
enced by her leadership, wOmen's clubs, religious
groups, various publications, as well as local Red
Cross chapters gave their support to the sale.
BY such united and enthusiastic effort more than
S135,0OO raised in the first national sale.
From 1907 to 1910, the National Tuberculosis
association had been organizing a nationwide
warfare against tuberculosis. PheSe pioneers
had the support of the foremost scientists, but
very few funds for their work To strengthen
the organizations effort, the American Red Cross
and the National tuberculosis association joined
forces to conduct the Christmas seal sale to-
gether.
The partnership between the American Red
Cross and the National tuberculosis association
lasted 10 years. During that time the scarlet
emblem of the American Red Cross appeared on
the annual issues of Christmas seals. In 1919,
however, the double-barred cross international
emblem of the anti-tuberculosis campaign and
trade mark of the National tuberculosis asso-
citation, was also embodied in the design of the
seal. Since 1920, the seals have been "Tuber-
culoss Christmas SEALS"
The use of these seals has become an accepte,.
part of the holiday celebration in this country
a veritable Christmas tradition. But more i'm
portant is the fact that the proceeds from the
sale of these seals during the last 81 years have
mounted up Into the millions and have become
vital factor in checking the onslaughts of the
once-dreaded white plague" And it all began
in this country when Danish newspaper man
wrote a magazine story!
g Western Newspaper Union.