Evening star., 1938-07-15
C. H.A. T0ASSESS
MEMBERST0PAY
H. 0. |. c. $4,000
Repayment of Advance Is
Part Of Campaign for
100000 Hospital.
LETTERS ARE SENT OUT.
TO 0ASS0CIATI0N'S 1900
Group Health Officials Will See
Commissioners Of Montgomery
County,

Iroup deaItn ASSOCIATION plans to
repay to the Home Owners Loan Corp.
the $4,000 advanced by H. o. L. c.
to establish the G. H. A. clinic at
1928 I street, it was announced today.
Repayment, according to President
William c. Kirkpatrick of G. H. A.,
will be financed by assessment of the
membership, which now totals about
$500. Letters announcing the assess
ment we're sent to members only.
Use Of the $4,000 of H. o. L. c.
funds has been bitterly attacked by
G. H. A. foes in Congress and stoutly
defended by its friends.
Mr.. Kirkpatrick at the same time
announced that the assessment is part
of q general campaign for 100000 to
finance the purchase and equipment
of hospital for the use Of the associa-
ton. in addition to repaying the debt
to H. o. L. c. Final arrangements
for purchase Of site for the new
hospital. he said, have not been con-
cluded, but announcement of plans
for the institution are expected short
ly. G. H. A. officials will appear be-
fore the Montgomery County commits
sioners July Is to ask for permission
to operate their proposed hospital on
a site in Chevy Chase, Md, but this
is only one of several sites under con-
sideration, 1t was said.
The 100000 to be raised. according
to Mr.. Kirkpatrick, is expected from
G. H. A. members and from others
interested in the program OF the CO.
operative medical association.
Letter Tells Of Plan.
In a letter to the members an
nouncing the assessment, the Board
of Trustees of the association, after
recalling that members had voted
unanimously May 4 to repay the H. o.
L. c. advance, said, in part:
1T has been thought best to assess
each person holding q family men,
bership the sum Of $40. payable at the
rate Of q per month for q period Of
10 months commencing August l.,
1888, and that each person holding
an individual membership be as
sessed the sum Of SIG. payable at the
rate of 81 1.60 per month for period
of 10 months commencing August !,
1888"
When the H. o. L. c. advanced s40.-
900 last. year to furnish and equip
the associations clinic. the invest
ment was justified by it on the grounds
that the association. by providing
adequate medical care for many en-
ployes who otherwise could not afford
it, would improve working efficiency
and reduce sick leave, then costing
the H. o. L. c. 100000 per year in
its Washington Office alone.
Medical Society to Meet.
Subsequently, however, the Board
of Trustees of the association voted
to open its membership privileges to
Federal employees who were not con-
nected with the H. o. L. c. In view
of this action, it was felt that mas
much as the benefits of the clinic no
longer accrued exclusively to the H.
o. L. c.. that organization should be
repaid the amount of its investment.
"News Letter" Issued.
A new feature of Group Health As
sociation appeared today in the form
of the G. H. A. News Letter."
mimeographed four-page publication,
issued to members by the Advisory
Council of the organization, Of which
A. c. Edwards of the Agriculture De-
partment is chairman.
Reviewing the present status Of
G. H. A., the publication editorially
declares G. H. A. is still involved in a
struggle for the right to live.
There are people," the publication
stated, who would like to see 1t COL
lapse. Some Of them are showing
ingenuity in trying to make their
wishes come true. For the time being,
therefore, the desire to present the
membership with full picture and to
answer those questions which the
membership has right to expect
to have answered must be tempered
by the omission of information which
would provide aid and comfort to
Others"