Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-01
ORDER COMING
OUT OF CHAOS.

San Francisco. May i.---Alan Pollock,
member OF the finance committee and
appointed by them TO act Jointly with
| Or. Devlne Of the Red Cross as pur-
chasing agent, said today that for the
first time since the catastrophe order
was coming out Of chaos.
Tomorrow the city OF San Francisco,
or what Is left Of It, will be conducted
on the basis Of great wholesale house.
That Is to say, those in charge Of the
distribution and purchasing of supplies,
as well as those who are adjusting the
many claims against the city occasion
ed by the communicating Of vast guam
titles of foodstuffs. will have the modus
operandi so systemized that the duties
OF the various officials win be largely
clerical.
The finance committee has appoint
ed three ub-committees under the IT,
ties Of supervising, adjusting and aud
ting committees Today the supervis-
ing committee received a large number
Of blank acquisitions. This means that
not an ounce OF food viii be purchased
until application has been properly
made upon a regular designated bank,
which In turn Will be passed upon by
the supervising committee and author
lied by the auditing committee.
In this matter not dollar will be
spent that Is not accounted for. This
means, OF course, beginning with to-
day, the city Will be run upon a mer-
camille basis. DR.. Devine OF the Red
Cross society and myself have been
designated 10 act as purchasing agents
and II Will be our duty to pass upon
every one OF these requisltion blanks.
For two days following the great
earthquake and fire It was necessary
for the city to feed It's own people. This
meant that stores carrying stocks OF
groceries and medical supplies had to
be broken into and the goods therein,
seized. OF course such commandsreo
articles must be paid for and for the
last few days the officials have been
flooded with the claims of merchants
whose stocks had been so coniscated.
We will act promptly upon these claims
and within two weeks they will have
been paid. That Is all OF the caln,.
which upon their face are Just. The
method Of dealing with the claims will
be as follows:
The claim viii first be passed upon
by the supervising committee and II II
is just and honest recommendation
viii be made that It be paid. In ans
case where claim appears TO be en-
or dishonest the same will be
thrown out and no further
given 1t.
This rule Will be rigidly followed
hut there may be Instances where the
committee IL IN doubt as to the JUST
ness of the claim presented. In such
cases the matter will be referred TO an
adjusting committee made up OF lead
ing merchants of the city represent
ing the different branches Of trade.
For Instances. on the committee will
be leading wholesale grocer, a prom
inent drygoods merchant, liquor
dealer whose interests are so large
az TO cause the committee TO desire his
advice, together with men representing
the hardware business The drug
trade and many other different lines
This board of arbitration will give
final decision I'm these cases where
there is reasonable ground for differ
ence Of opinion.
''To avoid Illegal complications the |
committee will depend upon a counsel
committee, composed Of Attys. Gar
rett McEnerney, Charles y. Wheeler, |
Hermann. All legal phases
of the situation will be dealt with by |
this committee.
The greatest difficulty that has vet |
confronted us has been the ,listribu- |
ton of food and supplies at the var- |
Gus depots. We have found that lr |
many instances the unworthy were |
receiving double and treble ratlons |
while worthy families who have lost |
all, were In dire want because they |
could not bring themselves to stand IN |
line with the loafers who abused the |
charity extended TO them. Today the |
committee has perfected system |
whereby these abuses will cease I'M
tnediately and no family hereafter will |
be allowed TO want for the necessities |
or life. The new work will be under |
the direct supervision OF Carl c. Plehn |
Of the San Francisco school depart
ment and a representative Of the Red |
Cross society. These two will enlist
the aid Of every school teacher in the
city and such members OF the Red |
Cross as VIII volunteer 70 act. This
body of workers will make house to
house canvass In that portion OF the
city unburned and ascertain the num-
Der OF children and adults In each
household Upon the recommendation
or the investigator n subsistence card
VIII then be issued good for one week.
Upon the presentation Of this card AT
the proper depot one army ration for
each person named thereon will be
Issued A strict adherence 10 the
ration Will be observed in
each instance. We have now on hand
An army ration basis supplies enough
to feed the people for three weeks"