The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1953-04-30

NE w dSlllllStOlt ~OAAANJ
and the National Foundation for In
fantile Paralysis have issued the fol
lowing statement with respect to the
misunderstanding regarding fund
raising policies of the National Foun-
dation for Infantile Paralysis.
misunderstanding of the National
Foundations position could have
come about only because well-mean-
ing employees of the Fairchild Air
craft Division and a Chapter mem
Der as we'll did not clearly under
stand WHY the March of Dimes re-
lies solely upon a separate annual
campaign each January for its polio
fighting funds. This is unfortunate
because as long ago as November 4,
1852 Representatives of the National
Foundation, in conference with Mr..
Joseph IL. Baylis, Director of In
dustrial Relations for Fairchild, ex-
planned the reasons why the March
of Dimes could accept no money
from an in-plant united solicitation.
ut was understood by the repre-
sentatives of the Foundation at that
meeting that the name of the March
of Dimes would be withdrawn from
the plant solicitation plan and that,
in fact, this was accomplished be-
fore the March of Dimes began in
January. Correspondence from the
State Representative of the National
Foundation, Miss Catherin Gaule, to
Mr.. Baylis following that meeting
indicated clearly the Foundation
policies
IF the Fairchild Company policy
is to conduct a single drive within
the plant for various agencies we
must insist upon being excluded and
will make no request upon them for
a separate in-plant March of Dimes.
In fact no request was made of the
Company during the last campaign.
"The volunteer trustees who de-
termine the policies of the National
Foundation have felt since its es-
tablishment in 1888 that the only
feasible means both of educating
people regarding the problems of
polio and of enlisting their financial
support is the separately conducted
and identified appeal
THE March of Dimes has been
extraordinarily successful in devel-
oping vast program of medical and
scientific research, medical education
and direct financial aid to all those
afflicted with the disease in this
country who require help. It simply
would not be sensible to endanger
this program at this time, when
chances for final control of polio
seem brighter than before. To
abandon the proven techniques of
the March of Dimes for inclusion in
a package" device, even in one city,
would establish a precedent and in
crease the danger of undermining a
working pattern elsewhere.
THE unpredictable nature of polio
precipitates an emergency wherever
it strikes, forcing hundreds of coun-
ties each year to rely upon polio
fighting funds raised in other parts
of the country and disburSed by a
national agency. The complex and
interiocking pattern of scientific re-
search can be intelligently admin
istered only on a national scale.
These conditions make a uniform ma
tional policy regarding Embarrassing
imperative.
''The National Foundation must
continue to raise all the money il
can through direct appeal to the
people and not through a joint OF
federated appeal in which its identity
and purpose would be lost or
blurred. 1t must continue to &C
straight to the people with its edu-
cational and Embarrassing March Of
Dimes appeal each January.