We are happy to be enabled to state that the contributors to our fund, though themselves affected by the general stagnation of business, appreciated the gravity of the situation and were more liberal in their donations than ever before - so much so, that there would now be a surplus in the treasury, had it not been for the fire of July 14, which was so serious a blow to our poor coreligionists that it added 250 families to the 140 already receiving aid from this Association. Seeing that this great calamity demanded efficient and immediate action, leaving no time for the delays attending the calling of a meeting of your whole body, your Board deemed it necessary to assume an unusual responsibility, and at a meeting of your Executive Board, held July 15, 1874, it was resolved to borrow from the Hospital Fund as much money as might be necessary to relieve the immediate and most pressing wants of the sufferers in the fire of July 14. Mr. Nelson Morris, our treasurer, was kind enough to advance, without discount, the money needed, upon the securities in his possession. Our efforts were seconded with the greatest liberality by all with whom we came in contact. Messrs. Hallock, 2 Holmes and Co. gave us the store 169 Randolph street, which we made out headquarters, free of rent. Messrs. Spiegel and Cahn gave us free use of all furniture wanted in the same, and Mr. Rubovitz donated all the stationary required in connection with the temporary fire relief. It is due to their aid that we were enabled to begin the work on the morning of July 16, 1874. Mr. Julius Rosenthal, one of the directors of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, greatly assisted us in the examination of applicaionts and making arrangements for the cooperation of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society in our work. We are happy to state that, although we received 226 applications, we were able to close our office for temporary fire relief on August 24.

THe Chicago Relief and Aid Society cooperated with us most efficiently and granted assistance to 215 of our applicants. Mr. C. G. Truesdell, the superintendent of the same, has earned the thanks of this Association by his noble-hearted and arduous labor on behalf of our suffering fellow creatures. In addition to the aid extended in connection with the fire relief, we are under the greatest obligations to Mr. Truesdall and to the Chicago Relief 3 and Aid Society for their liberality in granting us all the hospital accomodations needed by us; so that, although the number of sick entrusted to us was greater than during any year of the existence of our hospital, they were well cared for without any expense to our Association, and we must add, that the managers of the various hospitals to whom our sick had been assigned by the C. R. and A. S. gave them almost as good treatment as could have been extended to their most favored patients. While the preceding statement would make it appear that there is no immediate necessity for the rebuilding of the hospital, there are many friends of our cause who are as well acquainted with the necessities of our poor as your Executive Board, who have arrived at a different conclusion, among them such men as Drs. Schmidt, Mannheimer, and Fischer. The following is a synopsis of their views upon the subject: The dwelling places of the poor, crowded, unventilated and filthy, reeking with the germs of disease, offer none of the conditions required for the successful treatment of the sick. Many a disease which, under more favorable conditions, would readily yield to medical treatment, becomes a lingering fatal malady. The repugnance to hospital treatment which seems inherent to the poor, is intensified in the 4case of our poor, by the fact that the places to which we send them are controlled by people who however humane they may be, are strangers to the peculiar feelings, sentiments and customs and superstitions of the Jews. Had we a hospital of our own, many of those who now stubbornly remain in their homes amid the conditions of disease and death, would gladly avail themselves of the advantages we could offer them. Were more of our sick sent to hospital, the labors of our physician - now excessive - would be materially lessened by the concentration of effort possible under such circumstances and by the more rapid recovery of the sick. What the labors of the physicians are may be gathered from the fact that each of the above mentioned gentlemen, as also, Drs. Jacobson and Lowenfeld, have made about 700 calls on our sick during the past year, all of them gratuitous. They also urged quite strongly that the Association rescind its action of last year and receive the $15,000 offered by the C. R. and A. S. as the conditions imposed had never in the case of any other hospital proved burdensome. They recommended, that if the hospital be rebuilt, a cheaper and more accessible site be chosen and a building cheaper and better adapted to the 5wants of the sick be erected and, that when rebuilt, its adminietration be simplified, and that above all things, measures be adopted to enable the convalescents to enjoy the fresh air on the grounds of the hospital.