The morning call., 1894-03-01
WANT TO RETURN.
Many Men Who Want to Get Out
of the State.

OF the State.
The question of the unemployed and
what to do with them has occupied the
serious attention OF the citizens commit
tee, the Mayor. Chief of Police and some
leading citizens during the entire winter.
Thousands of dollars have been raised and
expended helping those out of employ
ment. Still the situation appears 10 re-
main unchanged, even though the school
children and all the charitable organiza-
tions of the city have assisted in the gen.
eral work of amelioration.
The city has been put to a very large
expense during these winter months in
providing for those without shelter, the
bills averaging $500 monthly for feeding
those who applied at the city prisons. In
order TO pay these bills for subsistence the
Supervisors were compelled TO suspend
the operation of the one-twelfth act in so
far as it applied to this particular fund.
10 order to lessen this heavy drain on
the city treasury the Supervisors accepted
the proposition of the Salvation Army 10
feed and shelter the destitute unemployed
in the old Hail of Records at half the
price which the authorities had been pay
ing.
Several days and nights experience at
the old Hall OF Records has Developed the
fact that the number of those applying for
food aud shelter is on the increase. At
irst there were only from 200 10 $50 who
were sheltered and fed at the Central sta
ton, but the numbers applying at the old
Hall of Records almost reached the high
figure of 500. IL this keeps on the ex-
pense to the city will exceed what it cost
when higher prices were paid but fewer
applied for assistance.
This phase of the situation has already
awakened the attention of the Supervis-
ors and Mayor Ebert. who have been en-
deayorng to find eXpedients for getting
rid of very heavy elephant. tits Thought
the remedy was discovered yesterday.
Captain McFee of the Salvation Army,
who has charge of the unemployed al the
old Hall of Records on account of bis va
ried experience In such cases, discovered
that there are about 400 or 500 among the
unemployed who have been, to use a
phrase generally applied to actors.
stranded" in San Francisco. Many have
told how they were allured o this city by
false promises and by the golden phantom
of work on the Midwinter Fair. They
said that if they could return ID their
homes in other States where they were
known and where their families and
friends we're they would be better off and
would be able 10 support themselves. On
In resignation many of these cases were
found to be most deserving, some going so
far as TO produce letters in substantiation
of their stories.
"They must go,p the Mayor said, "for the
city can't keep up this terrible drain fer
ever. Not that we want TO thrust these
people upon other communities, but be-
cause they will be better off in their native
towns or where they have friends"
Stralghtway Mayor Ebert sent for Chief
of Police Crowley, and, after consulting
over the situation, both officials came to
the conclusion that the best solution TO the
unemployed problem was to send as many
as possible away, rather than increase the
gravity of the matter by encouraging the
congregation of idle workmen in one place
to be fed at public expense.
"The only thing we can do" said the
Mayor, lis to see the railroad people,"
With Mayor Ellert to think is to act,
and both he and Chief Crowley at once put
on their hats and HE'D themselves to
| Fourth and Townsend streets.
The railroad officials at both the Offices
of the Southern Pac fic ana Union Pacific
companies listened to the statements of
the Mayor and Chief with no unkindly ear.
| Both c. T. Huntington and Colonel Fred
| Croker went over the entire subject.
| Finally. a promise was made that the
railroad companies would give transporta-
| ton to all those deserving cases where
proof could be furnished tn at no desire to
| simply beat passage was intended, and
| where the applicant would be benefited
| thereby.
No definite plans as regards the manner