Far-reaching Idea of Young Danish Clerk

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 246, 18 October 1935, Page 10

Far-reaching Idea of Young Danish Clerk

The origin of the health stamp is not generally known. Twenty-eight years ago, a young mail clerk in a small' post office in Denmark was working far into ■the night on Christmas Eve distributing holiday greeting cards and letters. He saw that, as a rule they would go to the comfortable homes, housing happy vigorous families. But ho knew, too, that where kind Christmas wishes and good Christmas deeds were most needed, there likely would not come oven a brief word of greeting. An inspiration seized him. Why not spend this money to alleviate the condition of the unfortunate? Perhaps by a tax on greeting cards this could bo accomplished. His fertile imagination soon pictured a device to encourage the practice and put a voluntary tax on it, too and thus in Denmark was born from tho idea of Einor Holboell the Christmas Seal in 1903. A committee of men of distinction was formed and the permission of the Ministry secured to sell the stamps at post-offices for the benefit of a fund to erect a hospital for tuberculous children. Since it was opened 3000 girls and boys have gone to the institution at Holding Pjord and have been healed. The committee also has three homes for weak and undernourished children and besides has contributed to societies which aim to help sick and poor children. ■ - ; Tho first sale of seals in tho United States was in,~1907, when Miss Emily P. Bissell, of Wilmington, Delaware, adopted the idea to raise funds _ to maintain a tuberculosis shack of eight beds. The work was extended by. a national campaign and interested: the American Bed Cross. The first national Christmas Seal sale occurred in 1908 and realised 135,000 dollars. In recent years the amount raised in an effort in the United States was over £1,000,000. Who would have guessed that Mr. Holboell’s scheme would grow to such proportions? Tho idea has carried to other parts of the world but the money raised in Hew Zealand is for prevention purposes only. Hone of it is used for the treatment of positive tubercular ceases, which are not taken into the camp.