Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/509

 IMPROVEMENTS IN INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE 495

The Metropolitan Company, in its circular of 1909, an- nouncing the appointment of Dr. Lee K. Frankel as manager of the industrial department, gave expression of its policy:

Insurance, not merely as a business proposition, but as a social pro- gramme, will be the future policy of the Company. If prevention of tuberculosis and reduction of the death rate will give cheaper insurance, the company hopes to co-operate with existing agencies for the eradication of this and other diseases, and to place at their disposal its machinery and the statistical material, which it has gathered since its organization. Its field staff and agency force will be instructed to establish cordial relations with charitable and social agencies, since these agents, coming into daily and intimate contact with the family, are frequently in a better position to know its need and difficulties, and hence have valuable and enlightening information for the use of social workers and for all interested in social improvement. One of the first duties of the new manager will be the creation of a bureau of information and co-operation.

Since Dr. Frankel's appointment we have in very many cities in the Union brought an agency force into direct relationship with the local organizations engaged in fighting tuberculosis. In Chicago, when there was a referendum on the subject of a municipal tuberculosis sanatorium, our men distributed a quarter of a million ballots. There were some two hundred and twenty thousand votes cast for the project, which was carried by an overwhelming vote, and the authorities think our distribution of ballots had a good deal to do with the result. We have paid for the print- ing of some fifty thousand copies of the State Charities Aid Association Bulletin, which will be distributed by this Association. Dr. Frankel has compiled a pamphlet on the Prevention and Cure of Tuberculosis of which we are to print approximately 4,000,000 of copies for circulation among our policy-holders. We have applied to the Insurance Department for per- mission to build a sanatorium for the accommodation of 125 patients, pri- marily for members of our agency and home-office staff, afflicted with tuberculosis, with an idea of further extension for the benefit of policy- holders. We are now trying the experiment of sending nurses to bed- ridden patients in New York to see that they are made comfortable or have perfect medical attention and sanitary care. This is experimental and may be largely extended if it is not too costly and if it brings about good results. We hope that through the nursing service in time we may be able to reduce mortality.*

Dr. Lee K. Frankel, manager of the Industrial Department


 * Mr. Fiske in a letter dated June 28, 1909.