The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-20
Butte's Relief Work.

| Inc relleI IunQ Tor the sufferers from
the explosion in Butte was swoller
yesterday by the receipt of more than
81, 300 from the employees of the Butte
q Boston company. 1t is contribu
ton that is most welcome to the suf
ferers and most creditable to the gen.
erous employees of the company
named
The city having decided to pay the
funeral expenses of the firemen killed
in the explosion, amounting to 81 ,OS5
there will be left in the fund when
the relief committee turns over its &C.
counts on March l probably 1926, 600
with all bills paid up to that time.
The question of how this money can
be divided or used to the best possible
advantage is naturally one that is
causing concern in Butte among the
many who since the dark night of
January 10 have taken deep interest
in the welfare of those rendered help
less either through injury or through
loss of husband or father. The pres
ent relief committee, having COM
pleted the work of temporary relief, is
DESTROYS of retiring and leaving to an
| other committee the labor of dividing
the balance that remains.
Generous as have been the con-
tributions and large as has been the
total sum received, the sum remain
| ing in the hands of the treasurer on
March will seem small indeed when
the number that must be permanently
relieved is considered. Many of the
injured were single men. They were
cared for at the hospital, their bills
paid, they were given a new suit of
clothes and started out as good as new.
In the case of married men who were
injured their families have been sup
ported and on leaving the hospital po-
sitions have been secured for them
where possible. But there are others
who are crippled for life. Some have
lost an arm or leg and will have to
be given a further lift toward some
business through which they will be
able TO support themselves One or
two have lost both an arm and a leg
and it is doubtful if they will ever be
able to support themselves. The
widows too will need help for a long
time to come. III the balance were d.
vided equally between those who may
be considered absolutely helpless there
would not be $4,000 for each one, and
within year in many cases further
relief must necessarily be furnished by
the county.
The wisdom may be doubted of di-
viding the balance in this way at the
present time. Some of those whom it
is designed to relieve would undoubt-
eddy, through the INSCRIPTIONS ma
chinations of constituencies confidence
men or through their own ignorance,
soon be as helpless as ever. There is
need of great discretion in this m after
and while in some cases, few thous-
and dollars can be safely trusted to
those to be relieved, in other cases this
cannot be done. A permanent relief
committee would seem to be advis-
able TO take care for year or two at
least of those not able to care for
themselves.
The committee which has thus far
handled the matter of relief has earned |
for itself the gratitude of the people |
of Butte. The committee has been
criticised as has every committee of |
the kind that ever acted In every |
case where investigation has been |
made the criticism has proved to be |
unjust and unfair. Had the commit |
tee without question responded to |
every demand made upon it there |
would not now be a dollar left in the |
treasury for further relief But the |
work of relief has been conducted on |
business principles. Investigation has |
attended the expenditure of almost |
every dollar. Some requests have been |
refused, but it is believed no reason |
able request has been denied. Physi- |
clans bills have, in many cases, been |
cut down. Other bills have been care
fully examined and allowed at fair |
rate. The idea of the relief commit |
tee has been that no one should make
money from this calamity, but that
every dollar possible should be saved
for the needy.
1t is the undoubted wish of the citi-
Zens of Butte, who best understand |
the situation, that the final settlement
OF affairs, or the direction of perman-
ent relief should be done by the same
which has thus far acted so
Chairman Henry Mueller
and the other members of the commit
tee have proven themselves the proper
men for the work. They understand
the respective needs and claims of all
those TO be relieved better than new
committee possibly could 1t is to be
hoped that they will consent to act on
the permanent relief committee.
What Are They?