The San Francisco call., 1906-12-29
REFUGEES OPPOSE
SUPERVISORS
Organization Sends Letter
to the Relief Corporation
Praising Its Good Work
FAVOR PAYING RENTS

Refugees oppose the effort of the
Supervisors to interfere with relief
work, and a statement from the organ
ization known as The United Refugees
was presented to the executive board
of the Relief Corporation yesterday, in
which the work of the board was COM
plimented. The statement was signed
by the board of directors OF the refu-
gee organization. and among other
things ii contains an approval of the
plans of the corporation to collect rents
in the parks and use these later for
buying land for those who paid the
dues. Following are extracts from the
refugees statement:
The undersigned directors of the United Refu-
gees, corporation, with membership aggre-
eating several hundred citizens and refugees
domiciled in the relief camps OF this municipal
ity, respectfully represent that In their opinion
the great body of the refugees believe that
your corporation has no purpose in view but the
welfare of the men. women and children. who.
unfortunately, have been deprived OF their homes
by the recent great confagration OF the larger
The relief fund was contributed by the doners
resume their normal relations as useful mem
bers OF the community in which they live. IL
was not given to reduce them to the status OF
mendicants by being treated as applicants for
charity.
The relief fund is trust for the benefit Of
the refugees and other unrOrtunateS. ana IL never
should be transferred 10 the institutions which
have hitherto engaged themselves IN the various
forms of charitable work. however great may be
their claim demand 10 take upon themselves
the work that can be more effectively done with
less expense and less friction by central or
ganiZation such the association of which you
are officers. directors and members. IL would
result In the mental and Industrial degradation
of the beneiciares 10 transfer the relief funds
to charitable institutions and thereby reduce the
applicants for relief TO the status OF mendicants
The wisdom of your policy in erecting cottages
for the refugees the public parks Of the city
and requiring the payment OF nominal Install
ments from the occupants must also be admitted.
inasmuch as 1t segregates those who are earning
wages, or may have saved money, from those
who are INDECENT
1t is q matter OF common knowledge that the
municipal authorities opposed TO the collec-
tion of said installments and to prevent coliec-
tiOn of the intervening with penal
laws and the of executive force
The undersigned declare it as the corporate
win and desire of their associate to engage its
membership and other self-reiant and self-re-
specting refugees TO pay said installments. and
thereby to demonstrate the wisdom of your
policy as we'll intended to segregate the indi-
gent and unworthy classes from those who are
earning wages or may have retained their
savings; and, to that end. the said installments
shall be collected as membership dues voluntarily
paid by each member who occupies cottage.
provided the money thus paid shall be applied
TO the purchase of land to which the cottage
holders shall remove their dwellings speedily
as lands be secured for that purpose