Evening star., 1938-11-22
District Heads
Ask Support
OF Seal Sale
Proise Tuberculosis
Association for
Reducing Deaths

ting the tuberculosis death rate in
the District during the last 80 years,
the Commissioners today appealed
to the public to support the annual
drive to raise funds for control Of
the white plague" through the sale
Of Christmas seals.
The campaign was inaugurated
formally last night at the 30th an
nual meeting of the tuberculosis
association in the United States Pub
lie Health Service Auditorium. Cam
paign workers listened attentively
while eminent spokesmen in the
cause discussed the past history Of
the fight on tuberculosis and plans
for the future.
Death Rate Reduced.
The Commissioners said the tuber-
culosis death rate in Washington
had been reduced by more than so
per cent in the last 80 years, but that
the Districts death rate for this
cause was among the highest of all
the larger cities of the country. They
continued:
This we know is due mainly to
the large number of our people still
living in low economic status in
volving crowded and often insani-
tary buildings, a discredit to our
great Capital City of the Nation.
"We must continue our efforts to
improve these living conditions and
to educate all of our citizens in the
necessary precautions against the
spread of tuberculosis. We are told
by medical authorities that this dis
ease is not inherited, and that it can
be more easily cured when discov-
cred early. This suggests the vital
Importance of using more effective
methods in finding all of the active
cases of tuberculosis and providing
for the disqualification of all per-
sons needing medical care.
This is what the tuberculosis
Association aims to do by cooperat-
ing with the local Health Depart
ment and other agencies by supple
menting the funds of these agencies.
But to carry on this work, funds
must be available. The main source
of funds is the annual sale of Christ
mas seals from Thanksgiving
through the holiday season.
Therefore, we urge all our citi-
zens to aid in this health campaign
by buying and using as many OF
the Christmas seals as they can af-
ford
Meanwhile, in the first radio ap-
peal for support of the seal cam
paign, Walter S. Pratt, jr., president
of the Equitable Building & Loan
Association and treasurer of the Dis
trict tuberculosis Association, urged
Washington to buy and use the seals
to aid in financing "the continuance
of this protective health campaign
for the whole community" He
spoke over Station VOL.
simultaneously, Willard c. Smith,
second vice president of the Tuber-
culosis Association and chairman OF
the Speakers Service, was mailing
letters to business, civic and wom-
ans clubs offering to provide speak
Cl " lCll dDOoO SAAS SSeeAo eaAAN sAAS
services they support.
Asks for More Beds.
Summing up needs essential for
victory over the dread disease DR..
James G. Townsend, president OF
the District association. who spoke
at last nights meeting, called for:
More beds for tuberculosis pa
tients, in addition to those recently
authorized for Gallinger and
Freedmen's Hospitals; early dag
nosis of the disease, especially in
school children; rehabilitation OF
those cured into self-supporting
citizens; health education; modern
laws, unchanged since 1908, govern
ing the disease; better housing and
economic conditions, and unremit-
ting research work.
The 80 years of progress made in
the fight against tuberculosis serve
only to presage what still needs to
be done to cut the Districts death
rate of 95 per 100000 population to
a minimum, he emphasized.
Preceding Dr. Townsend on the
program, Walter S. Ufford, chairman
of the citizens committee sponsoring
the meeting and former executive
secretary of the association, remi-
nisced on the early leading person.
alities which made the association
and it's work possible.
Negro Program Stressed.
DR.. John West, colored assistant
health officer of the Harlem district,
New York City, told of the impor-
tance of Negro program in tuber-
culosis control.
Figures not yet released by New
York Health Department based on
100000 rapid X-ray surveys bid fair
to show the economic factor is per-
haps the more important, he added.
1--WE expect to find only about l
percent difference between the death
rate of the Negro and the class of
whites in the same economic cate
gory," he asserted, adding that never
before had such a large sample of
humanity been tested as a basis for
statistics.
Education Dollar Effective.
More effect can be had dollar
for dollar from health education
than from any other form of tuber-
culosis control, DR.. West added, espe-
cially If it can be designed to reach
the recalcitrant victim, who, be-
cause he knows he has tuberculosis
himself, makes point of trying to
give it to others.
G. e. Lamson, director Of the Dis.
trict Of Columbia Employment Gen.
ter, who spoke in place of w. Frank
Persons, director of the United
States Employment Service, said he
had been authorized to say that
the United States Employment
Service is ready to play a leading
role in the rehabilitation of persons
cured of tuberculosis by helping
them to obtain JOBS in the world.
It costs an average of $1,000 q
year to keep a tuberculosis patient In
a sanatorium, he added, and If that
natient ran he helped tn become