The San Francisco call., 1906-06-25
RELIEF WORK MUDDLE
CAUSES DELAY.
By Deity Passing the Buck" Requisitons Are Not
Filled, Though Storehouses Are Full
HAVE SITUATION IN HAND

committee, after repeated failures Il
land the goods therein, and at the sug-
gestion of Mrs. Merrill, who graciously
volunteered to put the thing through
out Of courtesy to Mrs. Scott and tc
the club. And with Mrs. MerrilIs o. K
1t went UP.
The requisition called for necessa-
ries-practically emergency supplies.
Out of these six were filled, the rest
going the way of nearly all previous
equisitions-filed, untitled and forgot
And why?
If the supplies are not in the store
houses, then why not, with the $4.640,-
600 on hand with which TO buy them?
Without mincing matters, some facts
in the case are these:
l. That the local Red Cross is COM
pletely dominated by the National Red
Cross representative.
2. That DIR. DeVine, the secretary OF
the New York Board of Charities: Mr.
BickneIl, secretary of the Chica &c
Board of Charities; Miss Higgins, Sec
retarY of the Boston Associated Chari-
ties, and Mrs. Curtis of New York al
foreigners to San Francisco, are run
ming" the real machinery of reliei
work.
3. That the absurd and cumbersome
red tape is of their making and en-
forcing.
=. mat In6 aim OF the local ASSOcl-
ated Charities. Osgood Putnam presi-
dent, is TO obtain, control of relief work
in the near future, and in its illegiti-
mate ambition it is aided and abetteo
by the above mentioned professional
Charity Workers. Osgood Putnam, by
the way. is at present employed as
chief of district 4, at Hamilton square
Here. too. are the Associated Charities
headquarters. They seem, even now
. ,, .g<t
each other, to the extent that the
finance committee last week voted the
A. c., with Mr.. Putnam at its head
S2500 to use for investigation" pur-
poses until July. Not for relief" you
will understand, but merely for sta
tistics"
5. That there's a movement on foot
to grant the same body $4,000 month
for a year, for investigation" pur-
poses-in other words for salaries
wooden statistics and automobile hire
When the commissioners draw down
their $4,000 per year and the Associ-
ated Charities get their $4,000 pei
year for salaries and Investigations
there may be little left for real reliei
who knows?
The new s1s,ooo-a-year Relief Com
mission has assumed control of the
situation-Dr. Devine of New York
president; Ernest P. Bicknall of Chi
cago, secretary; c. F. Moran and
Colonel George Pippy.
The fact that there will now be one
visible, tangible head to the work OF
relief is a tremendous step toward q
correction of the wrongs discussed.
There will now be no passing oi
the buck
sponsibility. When abuses are found
to exist there is a definite head tc
whom to report-to hold responsible.
Whether the Capitalization of power
is worth $4,000 a year is a question
If that's all that gets out of the
peoples funds, and the rest is honest
ly, humanely and wisely used for the
people. then it's worth the money. Anc
from the attitude taken by the com
mission at its initiatery meeting or
Saturday it would seem that 1t means
to do the right thing.
And setting out with good Intentions
1 am sure the gentlemen thereof viii
be greatly indebted to me for the
tips herein contained!
Why, pray" ask the clubwomen OF
the city, SIS IL that. in spite of the
acknowledged service of women to the
city since the disaster, not one
woman has received an appointment
upon a commission. nor been given g
voice in the shaping OF policies? Os-
tensibly Mrs. Merrill is a factor, but
carpet baggers are running every
thing and the local Red Cross is tax
( ing orders from them.
Would il not be a nice thing and g
just thing TO appoint a capable woman
upon some of these boards-say in DR.
4 Devines place when he retires to New
York?
And the blessed little baby outfits
are still comingl
So are the babies to wear them.
The California Club relief committee
has a dozen little round wads of fan
nelly things that smell of paregoric
But by sundown they will be giver
I into the hands of soul-tried mothers.
Won't you, and you, and you-happy
women of happy homes, won't you try
I your hand at the little things?
Or perhaps you would rather make
nightgowns for old folks-tennis fan
nel-gowns warm and big and com
( forting. These are sorely needed now
when the fogs blow in cold in the
/ tents. and not tenth of the old people
are supplied.
If you are big-hearted enough tc
make some or buy some send them tc
Mrs. A. w. Scott, 305 Buchanan street
lot the OallIOTnlA 0luD T6IeI commit
+ tee, and call there any day thereafter
and see to whom they go.
You will go home a happier and g
better woman.
Herewith is the late list of the don.
ors of baby outfits, which have beer
distributed by Mrs. Scott: Mrs. T. NJ
! Sponogle, Mrs. Charlotte Provost, Mrs
/ Ella McCellum, Mrs. MacMasters Mrs
/ Frank Marston, Mrs. Robert Neal, Mrs
c. R. Johnson, Mrs. e. ]. Bradford
Mrs. W. P. Plummer, Mrs Peter erich.
/ ton, Mrs. Thomas Craig. all of Sar
Francisco; Mrs. c. F. Miller of United
States Marine Hospital, Mrs. JOSEPH
Cousins of New York, Mrs. Swaritz Of
Alameda, ladies of San Mateo. ladies Of
Bakersfield, ladies of Corona, ladies o.
Santa Rosa, through kindness of Mach
Erwin; Ladies Social Club, Ladies' Aid
! Society of Methodist Episcopal Church
Ladies Missionary Society of Baptis
church, all of Biggs. Butte County
J