Evening star., 1946-04-28
By SeIio Greenbero


for funds, the National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis has raised
$62, sos .099.80 since its founding in
1888 but has been unable to spend
much more than half this sum.
The principal reason for the foun-
dation's failure to spend a larger
share of its income is simple.
Poliomyelitis stands in SIND place
in mortality Of diseases in the
United States and also is far down
in the list on the basis of incidence.
Although crippling caused by polio
often entails expensive treatment
and care, there are not enough
cases to require the spending Of
such large sums as have been COL
lected by the foundation through
the most highly dramatized and
successful Embarrassing venture ever
devised in the health field in this
country.
Even though a large proportion
of the funds raised through the
Annual March of Dimes in January
goes for research and education, the
| foundation has been able to spend
only SIT per cent of the money 1t
has collected up to now.
Other Agencies Get Far Less.
But at the same time that the
infantile paralysis foundation was
obtaining such large sums, organi-
cations devoted to combating heart
disease. cancer, diabetes and other
mass killers have been forced to
get along with far less money than
they should have for their vitality
urgent tasks.
These and many other facts about
the present lack of balance in the
voluntary health work field in the
United States are brought to light
in survey made by the Providence
Journal.
More than 20 nationally promi-
nent authorities in the fields Of
medicine, public health, public well
fare and philanthrophy were inter-
viewed by this reporter in New York,
Washington and New Haven, Conn.
Extensive statistical data were OBJ
tanned from the National Founda-
ton for Infantile Paralysis. the
American Cancer Society, the Pub
lie Health Service and the Chill
dren's Bureau.
Also utilized in the survey were
the findings of recently published
three-year study of voluntary health
agencies in this country by Selskar
M. Gum and Dr.. Philip S. Platt
and financed by the Rockefeller
Foundation.
Virtually all those consulted. with
the exception of officials of the in
fantile paralysis foundation, agreed
that the foundations huge and
steadily growing reserve was en-
tirely out of proportion when con-
sidered IN relation to the meager
funds with which other health
agencies have had to get along.
S16,242,553 Polio Fund.
Here are the facts: s.
The infantile paralysis founda-
tion last year had a net income of
s16.242, ,553. Not only did it collect
more money than any other volun-
tary health agency in the United
States but it raised in 1945 more
than one-third of all the funds
contributed to national voluntary
health agencies in this country and
more than all of the other agencies,
except the National tuberculosis
Association, put together
And yet, according to official Gov
ernment statistics, there was an
average of only 1862 polio cases a
year in the United States during the
1904 period and the disease
caused an average of LOTT deaths a
year during this time. Only a small
proportion of those stricken by polio
are permanently crippled.
According to the Infantile Pa
ralysis Foundation's own figures,
there are now about 5000 persons
in this country requiring some form
of medical care for disability result
ing from polio. This means that last
year the foundation raised nearly
s130 per case.
The foundation has 2,714 local
chapters throughout the country, a
ratio of a local chapter per ap-
proximately each 80 new patients
at the 1904 rate of incidence of
polio. Such a ratio of local chap
ters not only causes excessive su-
pervisory expense but initiates
against proper level of responsible
and effective operation
In sharp contrast with the more
than $62,0O0,0O0 collected since 1898
by the Infantile Paralysis Founda-
ton is the record of the American
Cancer Society, which in the same
period took in a total of S6,266, 900.
In 1945, its most successful year to
date, the American Cancer Society
raised $4,025, 900.
100000 Cancer Cases.
Cancer is estimated to have killed
172,70 persons in this country last
year. OF every eight Americans who
die, one dies of cancer. According
! to the most conservative estimates,
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