To the Editor:

The recent dialogue about the time and place of the midwinter meetings has included many suggestions and questions about the external arrangements. The discussion has also revealed internal arrangements that may contribute to the discontent of those who must travel to New York.

The meetings include three types of activities—scientific, administrative, and personal. Each type of activity has associated expenses.

Arrangements chairmen report that the Association is granted “free” meeting rooms if enough hotel rooms are rented. In other words, members from out of town, who rent most of the hotel rooms, are subsidizing the scientific and administrative costs of the meetings. While this may be traditional it seems unfair and indicates one way to partly ameliorate the unequal burdens of the travellers.

The scientific expenses can and should be borne equally by all who attend the scientific meetings. Expenses for the administrative meetings should be borne equally by all members of the Association through our dues.

Out-of-town members will still have much greater personal expenses but they should not have to bear additional hidden hotel expenses that go beyond the actual costs of their rooms. The hotels surely know the actual costs of their various facilities and services and these should be apportioned more equitably.

George H. Klumpner, M.D.

Chicago