Page:Christian Science War Time Activities.djvu/23

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INTRODUCTION

and hospital, at home and in foreign lands, working under strange and oftentimes most difficult conditions, they proved worthy of the high responsibility reposed in them.

At the time of the greatest activity, there were in operation in the United States, Canada, England and France, something over one hundred Welfare rooms, tents and buildings. Some of these are pictured in the pages of this report. These photographs indicate the care and thought given to this important branch of the work. In our own buildings and equipment, including some additional tents and rooms elsewhere, the Committee had invested upward of $150,000. Equipment has been disposed of advantageously, in many instances at better than sixty per cent of its cost. Of the buildings erected in or near camps, it is hoped that at least two will become the permanent church homes of groups of Christian Scientists in those localities. The gift of another has been asked by a local hospital for a free clinic. Two have reverted to the owners of the land on which they were located according to provisions in the original leases. Several others are still to be disposed of. Of all the Committee's assets at the time of its demobilization, the buildings were perhaps in the main the most difficult to realize upon. Considerably better than fifty per cent was secured from the sale of automobiles which at one time represented an investment of in excess of $40,000. Of the two boats owned by the Committee, both have been sold at advantageous prices. In these as in other matters, great credit must be given to the State Committees, who not only invested the funds in the first instance but who faithfully conserved and disposed of the assets when the work was concluded. The most

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