The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-02
Accounts for Millions Donated

The year 1906, which will remain
memorable through the centuries to
eternity as the milestone of time that
witnessed the destruction by earthquake
| and fire of the two greatest cities tnat
| face the Pacific, San Francisco and VAL
| paraiso, is drawing to close While
| stopping long enough in its giant
| strides toward regeneration to utter
| the wish that Valparaiso's fortune Will
equal her own, San Francisco will de-
| vote all of her energies to herself ana
will not halt for rest until greater
city hides the last scar that deraces
the site of the old.
But a look backward at this time and
a survey of the days that have inter
| vened since the city was aroused with
the dawn of April 8 to witness its own
destruction and a survey of the prob
| lens that have been met and conquered
by its indomitable citizens is worth the
| while. The facts and. the figures as
presented in the report of the financial
! operations of the finance committee OF
| tn Relief and Red Cross funds and of
the San Francisco Relief and Red Cross
| Funds. corporation, to Secretary of
| War Taft. president of the American
National Red Cross, tell in themselves
| a wonderful story. ~t
TELLS HOW MONEY WAS SPENT.
This, the first complete report since
! the disaster, has been forwarded to
Washington. and will make known to
| the world the manner in which every
dollar donated for the relief of the city
! has been expended. 1t is report that
| will set at rest many of the charges of
mismanagement that have been made
and will demonstrate TO those COM
munities still withholding sums sub
scribed that the fear of misappropria-
inra hoe A1o4 c.,
cisco should have the money that was
| subscribed for her and which, legally,
| is hers.
Foremost among the facts that should
| thrill every San Franciscan with pride
is the announcement that out Of the
subscriptions that have actually been
paid into the hands of the finance COM
mittee since the day of the disaster
total of s6,213, 259.2s, the more fortu-
| nate citizens of San Francisco donated
| FOR the relief of those that had been
| reduced to poverty the sum of $402,-
| 6Ss,63-one-fif fifteenth of the fund paid In
by all the world Throughout Califor-
MIA further donations amounting to
| $246,3S9.49 were given to San Francisco.
and other stricken localities were also
| rendered aid.
STILL AWAITS BIG SUM
And greater satisfaction may come to
4 =
knowledge of the fact that every dol
lar that was donated for the relief of
| the city was paid into the hands of the
| finance committee. which still awaits
the receipt of $3,351.6 91.64 that has been
Subscribed for its benefit. In bold con-
| trast to the generosity of q portion OF
] it's citizens, who sent $95,675.50 to aid
the refugees is that of another faction
/ of Los Angeles people, who gave $6s,-
| o0o.with loud speeches of self laudation
/ and then failed to send 1t. The relief
corporation is still awaiting this
amount with decreasing hope New
! York came splendidly to the front with
donations of s1522 02441, and then, to
Offset the full effect of its generosity, a
donation by the State of New York of
$4,000 has been persistently withheld
! This, it is said, has been due to mis-
understanding of conditions
1t is hoped the report to Secretary
Taft will clear the situation. There Is
no question that the greater portion
| of the sum vet unpaid will ultimately
reach the city for the benefit OF Its con-
hagration victims. the bulk of the 1und
being held by the American National
Red Cross at washington and the
American National Red Cross at New
! York which, together with the Chicago
| relief fund of S158,32S.1S, is supJect TO
| the call of the relief corporation. chi
| caao has already forwarded s31S,26O.9s.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE
OF the sum of s6.213.65s.2s received
by the finance committee since the dis
aster there remains an unexpended bal
ance of S15S4SO7.05. The total re-
ceipts include: General subscriptions.
s5,943,46002; relief supply sales, $50
! 631.51; interest and exchange. S2S,-
692.75, and installments on purchase OF
cottages, S9475- The total expenditures
s1234,09443; relief of hungry. s1,146.-
412.6S; rehabilitation. s1,023,166.51; san
itation s2S1,020.74: transportation
s171.47053; sick and wounded. S147,-
$1,000; construction and operation or
permanent camps, s140,S05.56; relief OF
other cities, $138,934 general admins
tration and accounting, $12o,379.0f;
| construction and operation of relief
sections, s92S04.21; clothing. relief, $685.
255.09; special relief of hospitals and
charitable institutions, .s55,174.45; Red
Cross administration. $23,3SS.02; reor-
ganization of city, s2S,0SS.S6; appropri-
ations for special purposes, $3.50; pre-
liminary relief, organization and adj
ministration s429S, and miscellaneous,
s2s40.0s, making total of $4,62S.-
45223. Figured from every standpoint
it is shown that the administration of
this great fund to date has been but
per cent of the total. most creditable
| showing in view or the CONFUSION THAT
attended the first few months of relief
work.
FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS
considerable portion of the re-
Mobilization fund was devoted to the
Reorganization of the city depart
ments in which the Board of Public
Works came in for the lions share,
being accredited with $24,919.7S d.
rectly in addition to S11,9 which was
paid for sweeping the streets by the
relief committee in the first months
after the fire. In spite of these gen
erous contributions from the relief
fund the Works Board now finds it
self with a deficit of $4,000 at the
end of November. There are also
other items in this tabulation which
went to the aid of the Board of Public
Works. such as the amounts given for
the reconstruction of sewers and the
restoration of offices.
The Board of Health was naturally
the next largest recipient of relief
charity, being down for sf7,170 in one
lump. besides monthly appropriations
| { n