Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-12
JOHN.TOWK RELIEF FOND.
HOW THE MONEY is BEING USED BY
THE COMMISSION.
Final Awards of the Last Half Million
Building Homes for the Homeless
Demand Denied.

Sacramento was the first place on the
Pacific coast to telegraph financial all TO
the sufferers by the terrible flood disaster
at Johnstown, Pa, and altogether contrib.
uted very respectable sum to the relief
fund. 1t will doubtless be of interest to
the many contributors in this portion of
the State to know just what the Relief Fund
Commission is doing in the matter of dis
tributing the last half million appropria.
ton, which is explained in letter from ]
B. Kremer. Secretary of the Commission,
dated at Harrisburg, August 9th. The Sec
rotary says:
A meeting of the State Flood Commits
sion was held at Johnstown on Wednea-
day, July 3lst. During the morning a
public session of the Commission was hAd,
and citizens desiring to address the Com.
mission were invited to do SO. Under this
invitation members of the Johnstown
School Board presented the interests of the
public schools, and requested an appropri-
alton for the maintenance of the schools
Tor the coming year.
Cyrus Elder addressed the Commission
regarding the needs of the Johnstown Fire
oCpdltLhCDty dAu QuGSUODS OF de-
tail in the executive work of relief.
John Mcmillan spoke upon the house
building work of the Commission, and the
Rev. ]. w. Beale, d. d., pastor of the Pres
byterian Church, and w. H. Rose, spokeof
the popular objections to the methods OF
the Commission.
The Commission found the work of dis
tributing the last appropriation of $500 600
progressing, and made further arrange
ments towards pushing the distribution of
money with all possible care and dispatch.
The present distribution was begun upon
the registration and award of the Johns
town Board of Inquiry, which was be-
lieved to be complete system, at least SO
far as supplying register of all claimants.
Although this registration had been made
with much labor and care over eleven
hundred new claims have arisen as the
payments of the present distribution have
proceeded. There being no bar of limita-
ton to claims, justice to needy sufferers
has compelled attention to these new
claimants; this, and the apparent need for
review of many of the decisions pre-
viously made by the Board of INQUIRY, has
compelled some delay which was not an
ticipated. Il is, however, the Judgment of
the Commission that the balance of the
half million of dollars now under appro-
priation will be in the hands of the reeip-
tents In a very short time.
The Commission has already shown its
appreciation of the work of the local com
mlttees in Johpstown by accepting their
system and figures as the basis of the first
money distribution, and it desires to still
avail of all possible local help in the further
and final distribution of money relief.
This distribution the Commission is ex.
tremely anxious to make at the earliest
possible date in such manner as to correct
any inequalities of the earlier awards. To
promote this end a committee has been
created and directed to reportspromptly
upon the experience gained in the first dis
tribution, Shat a plan may be spsediI y
formulated for the final awards.
The Commission is expected to meet
many theories of distribution inconsistent
with the principles which have been
adopted for its guidance. and is also com.
PEELED TO deny many demands for relief
and indemnity which do not accord with
those principles.
These brief hints will show the extreme
difficulty, both theoretical and practical,
that surrounds the administration of the
trust confided to the Commission. 1t is
seeking with energy, and the best intelli-
gence it can command, TO execute the will
OF the donors of the great flood relief fund
in the shortest possible time.
The construction of 200 more of the
larger houses was authorized, and measures
were taken to rapidly complete those
already under contract
The appropriation asked for by the Board
OF Education did not appear to the Com
mission as coming within the principles of
its administration. The request, there
fore, was not granted.
resolution was adopted asking the
various committees throughout the coun.
try still holding funds donated for the re-
lief of the food sufferers in Fennsylyania.
who may desire to use the Flood Commits.
sion as the channel for their disburse-
ments, to signify the same to the Hon.
James A. Beaver, Governor of the State of
Pennsylvania and President of the State
Flood Commission, at an early day. 1t is
necessary that the Commission should
know promptly the extent of its resources.