Fortunately, most of the emergencies arising during the year were not of a magnitude very much greater than were easily met and suffering relieved locally. In several cases, however, national relief was asked, and was freely and very promptly rendered.
A brief summary of the principal events respecting catastrophies occurring during the year resulting in losses of life, personal injuries, destitution and destruction of property may be thus stated:
A mine explosion at Monongah, West Virginia, killed 359 men, who left about 700 dependents. For many weeks the Red Cross had an agent there assisting the local committee and studying and planning for the future of the widows and children, this help being gratefully acknowledged by the local committee.
The Chelsea fire occurred, when the homes of 18,000 of its population were destroyed. Miss Loring, the Secretary of the Massachusetts Branch, took charge of the department of supplies and distributed about 120,000 articles. The local relief committee asked, and secured, the services of Mr. Bicknell, our National Director, to advise on the completion of the relief operation.
A cyclone of great violence wrought extensive havoc in certain localities in Mississippi and other Southern States. Major C. A. Devol, and later Major Wendell L. Simpson, of the Army, both of whom had much experience with the relief operations in San Francisco, were sent to the scene of the disaster by the War Department and kindly offered to act for the Red Cross. Needing $2,000.00 for immediate use, this sum was at once telegraphed and his requisition for twelve trained nurses instantly filled; this number soon after raised to eighteen and supplied by the New York, Pennsylvania and District of Columbia Branches. Hospitals were established, and the injured and helpless, both white and colored, properly cared for. The local authorities expressed their grateful acknowledgments for the assistance rendered, which being more promptly available than was the government relief, was especially appreciated.
A flood in the Trinity River, Texas, swept away many homes. Our Texas Branch installed two emergency hospitals and secured locally the necessary doctors and nurses to care for those requiring aid. This Branch annually installs a hospital and tents at the State Fair Grounds. This year 1,000 persons injured or taken suddenly ill were treated in this emergency hospital.
Upon a telegraphic call from the U. S. Consul at Canton, $2,000 was cabled to the local committee for use in relieving the distress caused by flood in South China. Later a surplus balance of $34,000 in the hands of the United States and British Consuls at Shanghai, pertaining to the North China Famine Fund, which was partly derived from Red Cross contributions made last year, was forwarded to South China for relief of the sufferers from the June inundations.
Fires in the Canadian forests wrought great distress to the inhabitants whose homes were burned. The Red Cross made a contribution of $1,000 to their aid and received the thanks of the authorities.
Floods in the Carolinas and Georgia swept away the homes and crops of many. The Red Cross promptly responded to calls for help.
The San Francisco Home for the Aged, Infirm, Poor and Helpless Refugees, built and equipped by the Relief Corporation of that City at an expense of $377,000 was on August 5th, 1908, formally transferred to the City of San Francisco. This institution is dedicated “TO THE NATIONAL RED CROSS AND THE PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONALITIES WHO, BY THEIR GENEROSITY, RELIEVED SUFFERING AFTER THE GREAT FIRE OF 1906.” It has a capacity for the accommodation of 1,200 persons.
The Committee secured the services of an expert in relief work, who, in the character of National Director, is able to proceed at once to the scene of any disaster and concert with the local relief agencies those measures which may be deemed requisite to meet the emergency conditions. The lack of an agent to act for the Red Cross on such occasions has often been felt. The Committee considered itself especially fortunate in having been able to secure the services, as National Director, of Mr. Ernest P. Bicknell, who for several years has been at the head of the charity work in the city of Chicago.
Mr. Bicknell’s engagement dated from October 1st, and his initial work was a visit to Minnesota and Michigan to carefully study the situation in the territory devasted by forest fires. It is Mr. Bicknell’s belief that the States and local agencies may be depended upon to render such assistance as the conditions require.
The Central Committee has given much attention to a development of an organization so as to better adapt it to the purposes for which the Association was created.
The preparations required for the relief of suffering caused by war will be generally confined to the elaboration by the War Relief Board of plans for providing the requisite personnel, apparatus and supplies and their application under the direction of military and naval authorities. For emergency relief the instrumentalities of the Red Cross will unfortunately be frequently called into activity, and we should be ready instantly the catastrophe has occurred to have our agents on the spot with the requisite personnel, supplies and resources to undertake the emergency work which Congress has assigned to the Red Cross of America.
It is always the case that local, state and municipal authorities are ready to either assume entire management of relief measures within their jurisdiction, or to co-operate with those who bring help from abroad. Sometimes the outside aid required is many times greater in magnitude than the localities are able to provide. For two independent relief agencies to operate for a common purpose at any scene of want and suffering means duplication and waste and possible friction. It is to avoid such situations that the Central Committee plans to elect the stronger and more efficient charity organization societies as institutional members for the purpose of securing their trained personnel to take charge under the National Director of the necessary relief measure combined.
In furtherance of this general idea of better efficiency, and to provide an authorized official channel through which the aid of the philanthropic and charitable may flow, and be so applied as to yield the maximum benefit, the Committee has organized an emergency relief board of fifteen persons to be appointed by the President of the Red Cross and empowered to study, prepare for and supervise emergency relief throughout the States of the Union and exterior possessions.
Carrying out this general idea of specializing in work of the Red Cross, it is expedient to commit to a separate board the study, preparation for and supervision of relief applied in foreign countries. The organization of such a Board at an early date is contemplated.
It was found by experience that the By-Laws adopted on February 8, 1905, require amendment in several important particulars. Accordingly the necessary amendments were adopted at the annual meeting December 8th.
The general membership has been somewhat increased during the year. This is largely due to the generous co-operation of several of our members who contributed considerable amounts to a fund from which the expenses of a propaganda were guaranteed. Large accessions, it was hoped, would be secured by means of printed circulars and historical data generally distributed. While the propaganda resulted in the accession of several thousand new members, the net result of the efforts did not justify the hopes that had been entertained of a very large increase in membership. The cost of this work was paid from the fund created by the donors and without any inroads upon the resources of the Association.
At the International Conference, held in London last year, it was agreed that the Red Cross throughout the world should assist in the campaign against what has been aptly called “The Great White Plague,” i. e., Tuberculosis. Several Day Camps have been established by our Branches and are efficiently applying with most gratifying results the curative and preventative means for combatting this disease that have been advised by expert practitioners.
A Red Cross Christmas Stamp has been designed and will be sold during the holidays at one cent each, the profits thereby secured to be applied in aiding the tuberculosis campaign in localities where the stamps were sold.
A prominent military surgeon, who is a member of the Red Cross, has prepared a handbook for the Association on First Aid to the Injured and this book has been placed on sale. It is hoped that the Y. M. C. A. will adopt this work as a text book, a wish there is reason to believe may be realized and that every family in the country will be glad to have one. At the request of a prominent railroad official, we are preparing, for travelers and railroad employees, to be hung up in stations, a card containing suggestions for preventatives and remedial measures in respect to accidents.
Special instructions of relief columns have also been commenced. A plan is being developed through which the Federation of Trained Nurses may become affiliated with the Red Cross so as to provide qualified nurses as may be needed in cases of calamity, epidemics, etc.
The evidence is overwhelmingly convincing that where a great disaster has occurred contributions of the people are willingly and generously given to relieve suffering, but unlike the people of some foreign countries, our own do not seem to be as ready to join the Association in great numbers and by their annual dues supply the means for maintaining our organization in a constant state of readiness to respond instantly on call for help. Fortunately, the ordinary general expenses of conducting the business of the Association in Washington are small, since we have no rent to pay and no salaries to pay, save to the National Director, the Secretary and Treasurer, and for one or two clerks, but the stationery, Quarterly Bulletin, printing, telegraphing and postal charges are considerable. The annual revenues available for administration, derived from the half of the yearly dues, are not sufficient to properly conduct the work entrusted to the Association. The income from the Endowment Fund is also small because the fund is small and to the increase of this fund it seems to the Committee special effort should be directed.
Considering to what proportion the endowments of certain public institutions and beneficent organizations have grown through donations and legacies, it does not seem to be an unjustified expectation that the Red Cross Endowment should certainly reach a million dollars, yielding at least $40,000 a year, which sum, with other income, would be sufficient and ample to meet all administrative expenses and leave a considerable balance for application to emergency relief, before measures could be matured for securing gifts from the general public directly appliable to such relief.
With respect to this matter the Committee does not ask for enlarged powers, since the Central Committee a year since took action looking to the appointment of a Committee on Endowment, but for reasons all appreciate the time was not deemed propitious for undertaking the propaganda to this end, but members of the Board of Incorporators can, in their individual capacities, do much to forward the interests of the Association by their suggestion and personal influence.
The statement presented by the Treasurer will show the financial history of the Corporation for the year 1908.