The San Francisco call., 1906-06-15
ADVISES GIVING
PEOPLE MONEY
w. j. Bartnett Of Loan Com
mittee Has Relief
Fund Plan.
Believes POpulace Should Be
Aided as Donors
Intended.


". J. Bartnett vice president of the
Western Pacific Railroad and member
Of the committee sent by the commit
tee Of forty TO Washin gton TO appeal to
Congress for the loan necessary to re-
build San Francisco. has offered a plan
for the expenditure of the $6,000,00o re-
-znaining in the relief fund He sug-
gests distributing it among the suf-
ferers.
In letter to ex-Mayor James D. Phe-
Ian Bsrtnett says: L have serious
doubts as TO the legal right of loaning
this entire fund for building purposes.
] am positive that the Board of Super
visors has no jurisdiction over il. 1t
seems TO me that the finance commit
tee is responsible 10 the original COM
Enittee of fifty, the so-called committee
Of safety. it being the creature of that
committee In my opinion it is inn
pOrtsnt that the committee should at
an early date consider the legal aspect
Of the fund with view of determining
the nature and scope of the trust and
the uses TO which the fund may be le-
gally devoted In general way it
seems to me that the trust is TO accept
and receive the funds, to provide food
and clething for the sufferers and shell
ter them and to aid them with money.
Should the purpose of the donation be
unwise, the trustee is not concerned
with that; it would still be his duty to
carry out the trust"
Bartnett goes on TO say that the
money should be used to buy furniture
fer the refugees and for the re-
lief OF sufferers, as il was intended TO
be by the people who contributed it.
He argues that the distributing of these
funds VIII have a stimulating effect on
The community and result in establish
ing many in business, relieving pres
sure On savings banks and helping the
general mercantile community and
thereby the commercial banks.
WRITES LETTER Te MAYOR.
In letter to Mayor Schmitz Bart
nett outlines his plan for the expendi-
ture Of the relief fund. He says:
understand that the relief fund
amounts to over $1,000. 900 and that
there are claims against this fund
Whlcn VIII aggregate about 81 200, 900,
leaving in the hands Of the committee,
Mnen the claims are paid, Sc 1000, COO
The question is, what will be done with
this fund. The following suggestions
may be worthy Of consideration:
tl) Ihat sum amounting to. saw
SeOo.Oe0 be utilized Immediately by
.loaning the same in small amounts
not exceeding say $1,000 to any indi-
.NlouaI sufferer by the recent calamity
these loans TO be made 10 assist men
who have gone into business or who
may desire TO engage in some business
1nolHlouaI endorsements to be the only
security TO be eXacted for these loans
IN determining proper endorsements
would accept that OF any holder of real
estate, mOrtgaged or unmortgaged
that of any individual in business. or
the endorsements of any two person 8
VINO were engaged in business prior to
April lS, 1905 ] would suggest that
DDS.
CD That the sum Of say, $4,000. 900
be appropriated TO be distributed in
cash 10 the sufferers. In determining
the method of distribution the follow
ing suggestions may be considered
Inc cooperation OF all the charit
aDle dSSoclatlOns-Protest Catholic
Jewish and non sectarian-in the dis
Lrlcr affected by the calamity would
be OF substantial value. 1 would re-
SpecuuilY suggest that this appropria-
ton Of $3,00o,0oo could be justly dis
IrlDuleo IN some such way as this
(a) That q gift of say $50 be made to
every unmarried woman within the
state Of California, who was q sufferer
by the calamity and who, prior to
april is was dependent on her own
exertions for her livelihood. Many
single women who We're employed
prior 10 that date are acute sufferers
and cannot find suitable empIoynlenf
70 each married man or head of a fam
lly, who Is now residing in any of the
refugee camps; and that a similar gifr
De MADE 10 deserving heads of families
who are housed, but who require as
sistance-
Ccl That lists be prepared of the
FAMILIES who have lost their wage
earners through the calamity, and that
gifts be made TO these families which
gifts could well average $500 per fam
td) That particular care be given to
widows who have children dependent
on them and who We're self-supporting
from $3.50 TO $500 apiece be made to
such families.
DONATIONS To FAMILIES.
If 10000 families received an aver
age donation of $3.50 per family, this
would require S250Oo00 and would as
sist fully so. 900 people No donation
need be made where the head of a
FAMILY is possessed of moderate means;
exceeding say $4,000. Such a rule would
materially restrict the number of thoge
enutled TO receive donations. Suf-
should be included
90 That an appropriation of rea-
Sonable amount OF money, say, $780,
wy, be made to assist artists and pro-
1esslonal men and women, including
lawyers, Journalists, dentists and physi-
"a That an appropriation be made
Of, say, not exceeding 100000 for as
sisting artisans.
l5l That an appropriation of $1,000
ODu be MADE TO GelleNe the needs of
Families that have been disabled and
that may require care for some years
this fund TO be applied in assisting the
SICK, the helpless and those who will
be unable TO restore themselves in
self-supportng vocatlons for some
time TO come
90 That an appropriation Of saw
S200,000' may be made to advantage ia
assisting sufferers from the calamity
70 return TO California or TO San Fran
cisco.
The appropriation above mentioned
would aggregate $4,000, GEO. This would
leave S1oeOo0 unappropriated, as we'll
as the funds that would be received
when the loans heretofore proposed are
repaid This fund Of $1,000, 600 could,
In my opinion, he expended to advan-
tage as follows:
Certain tracts OF land in the burned
district could be leased for FIVE or ten
years Temporary wooden structures
TO house single men who would be en-
gagged in rebuilding of San Francisco
could be built on such lands, the rooms
in these structures to be rented The
sum of $250,000 expended in this way
would provide proper accommodations
naming sum, to wit, $750.00o could
be loaned in sums not exceeding $4,000
TO owners of lands, to assist them in
rebuilding, these sums to be secured
by mortgages on properties.
WOULD STIMULATE PEOPLE.