The San Francisco call., 1897-01-29
AMERICAN AID
FOR THE H|NDOO
San Francisco Will Re
spond TO England's
Appeal.
The Executive Committee of
Fifty Appointed by Mayor
Phelan.
Expressions of Deep Sympathy at
Yesterdays Mass Meeting g-Tee-
grams Received.

HS Auhoo- AlSCtlIiS COHNSU6U yeSL6Iudy
afternoon in the Chamber of Commerce
hall for the purpose of devising means for
the relief Of the famine-stricken districts
OF India was but sparsely attended,
though those present were fully entitled
to represent the most important interests
Of San Francisco. The result of a brief
and amieable debate was the adoption of
motion which empowered Mayor
Phelan to appoint committee OF ways
and means to consist of fifty mem bers for
the purpose of determining the nature OF
the assistance TO be afforded, together
with the arrangement of all other details
relative to the same.
! Mayor Phelan having been introduced
as the chairman of the meeting by Presi-
dent Craig of the Cham Der of Commerce
said that the failure of the crops in India
had resulted in widespr cad famine to
| which the buhonic plague had afterWard
added it's horrors. The distress was genu-
inc and had assumed such proportions
| that the English Government could not
cope with it. 'The magnitude OF the
calamity is SUCH" continued Mayor
Phelan, "that the sympathy OF the whole
| world has been enlisted in that behalf"
He added that he had acted after consul
tation with /. ]. Truman, president of the
Civic Federation and the Columbian
Banking Company, who had agreed to
make arrangements for the receipt of do
nations and their transmission to the
afflicted districts.
Telegrams had been received from the
chairman of the committee caring for the
distressed in India and from the Lord
Mayor of London, which afforded authen-
tic evidence OF the real condition of
affairs and the present need of relief.
With these facts before them he thought
the people of San Francisco could not but
respond to the call made.
The secretary, Captain w. L. Merry,
then read the following telegram received
from Sir Francis Maclean, Chief Justice
of Bengal and chairman Of the relief COM
mittee at Calcutta:
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 1897.
Hon. James D. Phelan, Mayor San Francisco
Cal: Central committee Indian famine fund,
Calcutta, earnestly solicit your cordial CO.
operation, highest possible scope private be-
nevo1ence outside State relief system. Area,
numbers affected, enormous. Distress rapidly
Increasing. Feel sure unavoidable privations
millions industrious poor will arouse pro-
| found sympathy of all classes ali nations.
! Committee makes urgent appeal 10 you to or
! ganiZe relief fund. VIII be rateful contribu-
/ tions which Will be publicly acknowledged.
SIR FRANCIS MACLEAN,
Chief Justice Bengal and Chairman Com
mittee, Calcutta.
| A second important cable message, ad-
! dressed to the public, was received from
| the Lord Mayor of London, stating th at
| he will accept aid from the public of
America with profound gratitude, and will
ask the royal family to contribute to the
! fund.
Arch bishop Riordan wrote expressing
regret that illness prevented his attend
ance and adding that the object OF the
meeting had his warmesr sympathy and
! heartiest support.
Later in the afternoon additional mess
ages were read from the Governors of
! Nebraska Iowa, Oregon and Washington
proferring assistance in the shape OF food
| stuffs.
The Right Rev. Bishop Nichols was
| then requested by the chairman to address
| the meeting. He said that the truest
recognition of the present necessity would
| be in the shape of names written at the
bottom of checks and by committees
promptly proceeding TO materalize as
sstance. Modern civilization had tended
| in a good many ways toward India.
| Columbus started out for that country
and was surprised when his prows ran
| against this continent of ours.
Rev. DR.. Stebbins briefly described the
seriousness Of the twofold calamity with
| which India has been visited. The Eng
| lish Government was deeply i'm mpressed by
this calamity, and had already remitted
to the afflicted country the sum of a mil
| hon pounds, or So, 900 600.
Before the question was put Rabbi
| Voorsanger made a few remarks. 1t was
not necessary, he said, to ada anything to
! the excellent words which had been ut
tered. He believed in the wisdom and ex-
| pediency of attending to this matter at
| once, and that the committee suggested
| could take it in hand. II believe" he
| said, ''that the real TEST of the humanity
OF the community does not come from the
| checks of the wealthy, but from the mites
| of the poor, and in addition to the COM
mittee Of ways and means / suggest that
the people of San Francisco should be put
conn pletely in touch with this movement
through the agency of public subscription
lists, to be opened in the press OF the City,
so that those who cannot be reached by
this committee may swell the fund with
| contributions from the municipality at
| large. | MAKE this motion"
The original motion and the amend
ment were then carried, together with
| that of Rabbi Voorsanger, to the effect
that the question of opening public sub
scriptions be referred to the committee
and solicited through the newspapers.
On motion of Rabbi Voorsanger the
| Mayor was appointed chairman of the
committee.
Professor Davidson alluded TO the i'm
portance of transportation and of deciding
at an early date as to the nature of the
relief to be afforded. He stated that
during his travels in India in 1874 the
rice was brought to Rangoon by steamers,
and had to be carried by bullock wagons
into the starving districts. Maize, or
Indian corn, so far as be could ascertain,
did not grow there.
President Craig suggested the advisa-
bility of leaving these details to the COM
mittee, and Bishop Nichols further
moved that the committee be empowered
70 bring the matter before the congrega-
tious OF the City at an early date. The
motion was adopted and the meeting
The committee subsequently chosen by
Mayor Phelan is as follows, subject to
revision:
Frank James, H. E. Huntington Herman L.
E. Never A. Hayward, Walter S. Hobart
Joseph Grant, General ]. F. Houghton, A b.
Forbes, Evan c. Evans, r: P. Schwerin, Colin
NJ. BOYD, George f. BoardmaD, Edward Cole
man. H. NJ. J. McMichael, Walter Powell
william Steele, Mr. Scott. R. D. Girvin, E. E.
Eyre E. w Ferguson, James Erlanger, Will
liam Babcock l.. w. Storror, w. n. Hawley,
Frank Whittier G. s. Holmes, Thomas Magee
Mayor Phelan Claus Spreckels, George H.
Collins, c. S. Holmes, Daniel Meyer, A. Cheese
brough, Professor George Davidson, /. J. Tru-
man, Rabbi Voorsanger, w. s. Chapman, Dr.
Stebbins, Louis Sloss, Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst
Mrs. Leland Stanford Mrs Andrew Welsh, c.
f. Crocker, Levi Strauss, r. ]. Tobin, w. w
Clark, George A. Collins, j. II. English, p. N.
Lilienthal A. Gerberding, J. j. Valentine.
-
HYPNOTIC Inst. 8 oFarrell, teach, treat.