Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-04-03
The Relief Work in Nebrnska


The Relief Work in Nebraska.
LINCOLN. March 24.-The state re.
lief commissioner has made the follow.
ing report:
TO the Honorable House of Repre-.
sentatives Ct the Twenty-second Ses-
sion, Nebraska Legislature-Gentle-
men: In answer to the oft repeated
request made upon this floor the execu-
tive committee OF the Nebraska state
relief commission held a regular meet
ing this morning and begs leave to sub
NIT the following:
Under house roll No. 70 we have ex-
pended for provisions and fuel between
$50, 900 and $50 900. We are supply
ing between 6, 600 and 1000 families,
averaging five to the family. every four
to six weeks the following: so pounds
Of -four, 20 pounds corn meal, pounds
oat meal, pounds homily 4. pounds
rice and Z pounds of beans. In the
| frst shipment under this bill we sent
to each county a few pounds of tea and
coffee with positive instructions to the
distributors to give it only to those
who were sick or old or feeble. An
| order that we are pleased to say has
been quite well carried out. The pro-
visions on hand in the various counties
will last from seven TO ten days. Our
last shipment also included 500 pounds
OF salt sides to each county.
Under house roll No. 81 we have
spent between 500, 900 and 500, 900 for
wheat and barley.
The commissioners decided that they
would furnish no grain supplies to any
county east of line running north and
south Of the eastern border of the fol-
lowing counties: Cherry, Thomas,
Logan, Lincoln, Frontier Red Willow.
until after they had made n personal
investigation. The investigation shows
that we will have to help several coun-
ties east OF that line. To give them
their pro rata of wheat and barley will
more than exhaust the $4,000 BY
reducing the official applications 40
per cont we find that the 500, 900 al
lows each farmer between So and Sc
worth of grain. This gives us be-
tween fifteen and sixteen thousand
farmers that must have more or less
help in the way of grain supplies.
We have today hundreds of appeals
from the mothers for themselves and
children asking that we send few
bolts OF calico and flannel and few
pairs of shoes. Much US we would
like to answer these appeals we can.
not for the appropriation will barely
feed them until such time as they can
provide for themselves. A careful in
vestigation shows that of the large
amount of clothing donated major
part has been for men. Thus they
are well cared for while the women
and children in the main have had to
suffer. There are many families that
we are supplying where the clothing
Is exceedingly scant; the children
have been barefooted all winter. the
wife's feet wrapped in oilcloth or jute
sack.
Many OF the aged and sick are ask
ing that we send another shipment of
tea and coffee. We can hardly do this
with the limited amount left of the ap
preparation. And yet we have no doubt
that it would bring blessing and COM
fort to many.
As tic the distributors making politi-
cal capital of the aid distributed, four
fifths of all the county officers declare
over their official signatures that the
work of distribution completely over
turns any political aspirations thai
they may have had, because the COM
mission have issued positive orders
that political hangers-on are not to be
served; that we will know no party,
no creed or religion, only the needy.
As to the large amount of freight
paid, the greater share of it was for
freighting coal. In answer to re-
peated inquiries that come from boards
of trade in the larger cities in other
parts of the United States we have
said that Nebraska could care for her
people. We ask you to enable us to
keep this promise.
Another 500, 900 will surely enable
us to relieve all cases of restitution,
and at the same time enable us to sup
ply the farmers with seed corn. seed
potatoes and oats. From our extern
sive correspondence we feel safe in
saying that unless we can supply these
wants it means that one third of Ne |
braska's population in that part of the
state move out. The question arises |
in our mind, can we afford it, for the |
sake of these few dollars, to allow that |
part of Nebraska to be depopulated?
We, therefore. earnestly ask the APP
preparation of an additional 800, 900 |
to supply these pressing calls that are
made upon us.
Any question in regard to the work
OF distribution or abuse of the distri-
button OF the supplies will be cheer
fully and promptly answered by our
general manager.
JOHN FITzGERALD,
President Executive Committee.
A. j. SAWYER,
LOUIE MEYER,
c. w. MosHER,
LUTHER p. LUDDEN,
Secretary Executive Committee.