The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-08-01
J0HNsTOwN FUND.


NEW YORK, July 26.-The Herald
to day publishes the following special
from JohnstowD, Pa; spent several
hours to-day examining the hooks and
accounts of the Johnstown Flood FL
nance Committee, and the figures here
presented are the first that have ever
been printed of the receipts and ex-
penditures of the committee.
The Finance Committee was organ
lied on the morning following the
flood and the first contribution for the
sufferers we're received by it. AS at
first constituted it consisted of the men
connected with the banking iustitu.
tions of the town, but it was afterward
learned that several of the most prom.
inent bankers were drowned When
james b. Scott was made director he
changed the complexion of the whole
committee and made James Mcmillan
and Cyrus Elder, two leading Cambria
Iron Company men, President and
Secretary, respectively. Funds flowed
into this committee freely for few
days, but on the organization of the
State Flood Commission most of the
money was sent there.
THE AMOUNTS RECEIVED AND PAID OUT.
All told this committee has received
S35G,S2l,27. OF this S15S,650 was
paid out in the "$l0-a-head distribu-
ton" and this was the only part Of the
fund that was applied directly to the
relief of the people. OF the remainder
100000 was expended by the various
committees, clerk hire and incidental
expenses, including $40,S63.05 paid to
the Fire Department and S2S,59S.11
paid in the first few days for removing
the debris and dead bodies, and which
was afterward charged to the State,
but no settlement of this account by
the State has been made and the pros.
poets are not good that it will ever be-
There is yet in the hands of the com.
mittee about 100000, most of which
the committee intends to apply to
building bridges
WHY THE COMMITTEE is CRITICISED.
The action of the committee in u.s.
ing so much OF this money for the Fire
Department, and especially for build
ing bridges, has been severly criticised
the claim-which is seemingly we'll
founded-being made that it does not
go to the relief of the needy, but, in
stead, Is adding to the wealth of the
property holders and men of means by
relieving them of taxes, the benefit
of which they will solely enjoy. This
committee has also been much CRITICS.
ed because no statement of its work
was ever given to the public, it only
being in general way that the people
were informed that much of the money
was being applied to building bridges
and the like.
The appointment by the committee
of III. w. Storrs, who was in their en-
ploy as one of three members
OF committee to audit their
accounts, is also looked upon with dis
trust by many. Storrs, as Chairman
of sub committee, had charge of the
1910 head distribution" in which
nearly $160,e00 was paid out, and it is
not considered exactly proper that he
should audit his own accounts.
just how much or how little this
Auditing Committee will find out is
hard 10 tell, but with the mass of fig
ures presented to them it is Doubtful if
they will discover, as l did to-day, that
prominent citizen has drawn big pay
for several weeks from two committees
covering the same time
Tur ronr,pYurron,
As to the receipts, money has been
received from nearly every State in the
Union and from nearly every country
in the world. Pennsylvania leads,
with $S1, ,502.3S, Ohio sent S6O,9lS.93,
New York follows with S52,425.O9,
and New Jersey with $4l.46S.53. OF
New York's share, however, ,S41, 1868. 22
is credited to the city. Of the Herald s
$50, ,3O3.54 fund, over half of il was re-
celved within week after the flood,
and the last remittance. of $1l24.62,
was received from the London Bureau
on September 12.
| CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE DEAD.
Among other receipts $3l45.49 was
handed over by the Morgue authorities
this morning, having been taken from
the bodies of the unidentified dead.
Among the anonymous contributions
was one of 1921 found in a bag of
beans.
In superficial examination of these
accounts it is observed that all receiv-
ed pay for their work and that but
little work was done that was not paid
for, even the citizens who assisted in
carrying their own dead IN the first
days sending in a bill.
An auditing of the accounts of this
committee is promised soon, and per-
haps full statement will then be pub
lished.