Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-29
AN EXCUSE MADE.

OSAA
mittee.
AN EXCUSE MADE.
In reply to this last letter Mr.. Wilson
said he was not the proper person to state
their reasons for their action and some time
later Mr.. J. c. Steinman, OF South Fork
wrote letter making an excuse for theil
action. The following is the first letter sent
to South Fork:
Fork, Pa:
DEAR SIR-I inclose herewith draft on the
Fourth National Bank, n. Y, for IS, 600 to your
order, as per resolution of our committee. We
have DELAYED sending this until the plans of the
Governors commission would be perfected
We have felt that there should be one system!
adopted by which all relief should be afforded
from South Fork to Nineveh, and that the re-
lief should be apportloned and distributed by
some committee outside the local committees
in order to prevent any charges of partiality ol
misappropriatlon.
Our committee therefore send you this
money in accordance with its promise, but
would suggest that you work with the plan OF
the General Committee and thereby avoid con-
fusion and consequent trouble, which might re-
suit in South Fork getting all she was entitled
to. This by way of suggestion. We do not
assume any right to determine for you. Judge
Cummings of WilliamspOTt, has been ap-
pointel by the Governors Committee to ap-
portion and distribute the funds, and will have
all things in readiness this week. He is to go
to JOhnstOwn and make his headquarters there
until the work is completed.
We hope you may be able to conform to his
plans, which are the results of the committee g
deliberations, and trust that you will find the
brief delay to result in the greatest good with
the least possible friction.
Respectfully yours,
WILLIAM r. THOMPSON.
Treasurer Johnstown Relief Committee.
SARCASM FROM THOMPSON.
Another letter was mailed Mr.. Wilson on
October IL, and is as follows:
PITTsBURG, October II, 1889
Mr.. ]. P. Wilson, President of Council, South
DEAR SIR-In a circular now before me
dated June z, 1889, addressed ITO the Friends
of Humanity and Mercy" and signed ]. o.
Council; d. w. Luke, ex-POstmaster; q. B.
Steinman, and ]. c. Luke, M. D., the following
statements appear: I'VE, the Burgess and
Council of South Fork in meeting assembled,
called for the purpose of devising the proper
course to pursue in order to get relief for the
homeless and needy victims of the terrible Wis.,
italons of death and destruction, feel that this
our appeal will be considered" etc.
A little further on you define these home
less and needy victims" in these words: Our
mountain town is principally populated by an
honest, hard working class of day laborers, who
have struggled and toiled long and hard to ac-
cumulate that which in flew terrible mo-
ments was swept out of existence" etc., "of
which nothing now remains but the fragments
of destruction-a barren waste filed with sor-
row and lamentation, and again you say: I'VE
need money to rebuild houses and afford
shelter for the homeless"
In addition to these printed statements Mr.
d. W. Suke called to see me and said that 40
houses had been swept away and the people were
in the greatest need" ETC., descanting at some
length upon the distress. emphasize this
portion of your letter and the conversation
with Mr.. Suke. asking your especial attention
to the exact terms in which your appeal is
clothed. There is an ambiguity about them
and it was in good faith and solely for 1.-THE re-
lief of the homeless and needy victims" as
well as of others filled with sorrow and lamen-
tation," that the Relief Committee of Pitts
burg burg sent you. you on tno.Jfdy July 1 5000
astonishment in looking over the list of names
and the amount paid by your committee to find
that out of AZ cases relieved nine received a
trifs over s. 900 of the S., 900 sent.
THE WIDOWS MITE.
Inotice also that one widow received S45 and
another woman SIS, and have no doubt that
closer investigation would discover other beau
ties in this distribution.
Again in your letter of October z, 1859, in
answer to Mr. ]. B. Scott's inquiry of Septem-
Der Is you say: I'm regard to the distribution
of the s., 600, our relief committee made it as
advised by Mr.. Thompson, pro rata according
to loss sustained" ETC., and Twas made after
the second payment made by the General
Relief Fund Committee" Taking these state
to produce your authority to the effect that
advised" you to pro rata" the amount
of money according to loss" Again,
your distribution was certainly not
made after the second payment by the
General Relief Fund Committee" as the
second payment is now only begun. The first
payment made by the Flood Relief Committee
began under Judge Cummings on Thursday,
I'M va
middle of August. You got your money on
July L Why did you wait until after pay
ment was made by the commission before dis
tributng what you had? We were told that
you were in "direful distress" Now you say
that the money sent you to meet this wretched-
ness was held until after a payment was made
by the commission. Suppose our committee
had exercised the same sort of discretion with
you and withheld their aid until after a pay
ment had been made by the commission
WHY DID THEY WAIT.
The only reference to a pro rata" award,
according to county assessment was made
by Mr.. D. W. Suke in one of our conferences
1 distinctly said then that such plan was at
variance with the plan then under considera-
ton by the Governors commission, and his re-
ply was I'VE had better wait then until the COM
mission reports its plan." But l particularly
ask your attention TO my letter of July TO you
inclosing the draft in which said: I'VE have
the Governors commission would be per-
fected." We have feltthat there should be one
system adopted, and that the relief should
be appOrtiOned and distributed by some COM
mittee outside the local committees, to prevent
any charges of partialitv or misappropriation."
"0ur committee would suggest that you work
with the plans of the general commission and
thereby avoid confusion and subsequent
trouble" Judge Cummings will have all
things in readiness this week." I'VE hope you
will be able to conform to his plans, which are
the result of the commissions deliberations
and trust you will find the brief delay to result
in the greatest good with the least possible
friction"
Such, sir, is the history of this transaction,
taken from my letter book and memoranda.
have made no reference here to letters written
to Mr.. d. w. Suke and Burgess Young as they
did not express any positive directions, but
contained requests for names Of recipients and
amounts awarded. made prior to sending the
money. We expressly asked Burgess Young:
Let us know how you are to dispose of the
above amount, to which we received no
answer"
l write on behalf of our relief committee to
ask what you propose to do and shall await
your reply before giving the matter publicity.
Very truly yours,
WILLIAM r. THOMPSON.
II Was Not Exciting.