The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-05-16
HOW THE RELIEF
MONEY WAS SPENT
over S1,00O,OO0 Cash Distrib-
uted to Galveston Sufferers.
is A BALANCE ON HAND
STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO
LEGISLATORS CRITICISMS.

Galveston, Tex. Nay 15.-Owing to
the discussion. in the house of repre-
sentatives Of the Texas legislature, re-
Gently adjourned, in regard to the Cal
weston relief fund. the following state
ment has been prepared by the Calves
ton News:
The total cash received from all
sources at Galveston was 81 .24S, 495: dis
DCtsenents, $l,234,639, leaving a balance
OF S8,S56. Some claims are outstanding
against the fund and several suits are
pending FOR adjudication which viii
about offset n balance Chairman.
McNitle Of the relief committee re-
ports the expenditure of S132, 1873. OF.
uhls amount 81, 7S3 was for supplies
purchased by the committee. The valu-
au10n of contributions was placed at
$3.50. 900.
The re}ief m sold s5S124|
worth Of supplies. consisting of perish
able gooCs and distnfectants. The re-
lief committee, (which was a sub-cOm-
mittee of the central committee. had
charge of the distribution of provisions
and clothing and was in charge Of the
commissioners. All funds received by
the committee were turned over to
Chairman JOhu Sealey Of the france
committee and treasurer of the central
committee. The state legislature sent
q special joint committee TO The storm
district in March TO report on cOndi-.
tions Of the people IN the district, and
to investigate the method and manner
of distribution of relief funds received
by various committees in said section
The figures presented above were pre-
pared officially by this legislative COM
mittee. shortly after the adjournment
otthe legislature, the epOit OF the joint.
legislative committee was made public.
Referring TO Galveston and the work Of
the building committee. the report says:
1T seems that a great humble Of re-
lief houses were placed upon the land
Of Wetl-to-do people ThO were to receive
rents from the people occupying them.
Ehe committee also incorporated in
its report she statement that from $15,-
geo to 1000 was appropriated by the
relief committee to ill up certain places
and Districts with sand and that such
httng was made to benefit b property
of various members Of said committee.
The statement further says:
1T is a we'll known faC &c the gov.
ernOr OF the state o. Texas and tG all.
parties who have given CfaiVestOn refef
work any consideration, thai the distri-
button Of a fund sent to Galveston was
in the hands of as strong and reliable
a SET of men as could be mustered any
where IN state Of Texas.
The building cOUmi-tse was a sub
committee from the central commit
zee. Tue central committee appropriated
from the general fund S450.0 600 for build
ing homes for deserving poor who lost
NLt-lL ALHtltEo DN LANt HAbllLs ana diSD 4OI
repairing dwellings damaged by the
storm. The building committee began
to close up its work on May ]. and its
final report is now in course~of prepar-
alton. Houses to the Number Of 5T2 nave
been constructed. ranging in value from
S305 70 1853 apiece.
'Tbe facts iu regard to the legislative
! Commfttee'c report are these. In q
few cases property-owners not only
had their homes washed away. no their
lots. being close to the gulf, were partly
washed away. and left partly or wholly
in the gulf after the storm. New resi-
deuCes could not be erected on such
lots. The building committee gave
such sufferers the right 80 purchase a
new. ~ lease q lot. The uumoeT of
leases were small. Where tire building
committee erected houses on leased loJs
70 was specially stipulated in the con-
tract tina the owner of the lot should
have no Zen on the house erected cy
the building committee. 50. II a food
sufferer should Zoe unable to release or
purchase his lot. he is at liberty to
move his house away.
"The only way that tnis could be done
emective was to nj M numerous
holes and low places crested by the
force of the waves during the storm.
I Not one dotssr of che relief fund was
used IN dllinE amy TsSoperty except the
4 public streets ana alleys.