The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-09-21

! Organized labor has taken part in
a great many matters of public bene-
| fit, but it doesn't say great deal
about them
| One field in which labor has taken
the lead in many cities is the donation
of blood. Labor generally has taken
very seriously the establishment of
blood banks and the supplying of
those banks.
| In one city the CIO fines those who
do not donate when they have given
their pledge. Perhaps there are AFL
units that do likewise.
| Labor could make very creditable
report if it would assemble all of the
facts about its participation i'm blood
| bank undertakings.
Blood and blood plasma are saving
countless numbers of lives in battle
areas and subsequently in military
hospitals here at home. Nobody knows
how many lives are being saved every
day, but the number is huge.
There are two kinds of blood bank
operation. One kind is the community
blood bank which stores whole blood
and fluid plasma for use within the
area of the bank The other kind is the
Red Cross operation in which blood Is
gathered in donor centers and then
prOcessed into dried plasma for ship
ment overseas or wherever it may be
needed.
1t is said that the Red Cross sup
plies all Army and Navy needs, but
this is not entirely true. Some of the
whole blood used in military and naval
hospitals here at home comes from
community banks which draw their
supplies from the civilian population.
The broadened interests in blood
banks is creating new benefit for
labor. Many industrial plants now
keep a supply of plasma right in the
plant, ready for instant use. AS time
passes many a workers life will thus
be saved by avoidance of delay in
getting TRANSMISSION. Liquid plasma
will keep for roughly year at room
temperature
Miami, Florida has created an or
ganization for producing blood that
may be patterned after in other cities.
SO far it is the only organization of it's
kind 1t is called the Blood Donors
Council
This Council is federation of or
ganizatiOns, just as a central labor
council is a federation.
Each affiliated unit pledges GER
tain number of donor volunteers per
quarter for a year in advance The
Council has paid executive secretary
and each affiliate appoints a repre-
This representative and the
Councils secretary schedule the donors
through the donor center in such a
way as to avoid loss of time.
Each affiliate organization is given
credit equal to the volume of blood it
donates to the bank. When in need, the
affiliate organization may draw upon
the bank for its members, their fam
lilies, or even for their friends. The Or
ganization's representative writes a
check on the bank for so and so many
units of blood or piasma.
The affliates put blood i'm the bank,
just as person puts money in bank;
and it draws out by check in the same
way.
Donations of blood have increased
275% since formation of the Blood
Donors Council. Donations are not
only increased, but they are regulated,
so that the inflow is steady and sus-
Lained.
Any community that has a blood
bank can form council. 1t should be
that members do not pay
for the blood when they need trans
'usions. They have deposited the blood
md it is theirs. The bank becomes a
store house-a depository.
Member organizations may, upon re-
Iuest, have plasma for storage in
,laces of employment, for instant Use
n case of accident.
Here is something in which labor,
" reason of its form of organization,
an continue its place of commanding
Importance i'm the blood donor picture
Workers have the greatest need.
They can insure a constant and ade
Luate supply.
Why should not blood banking be-
ONE IA great and generally practiced
?-CMW.