The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-04
FINANCE is STILL
A GREAT PROBLEM
Various Schemes Are Submit
ted to General Committee
BANKS RESUME BUSINESS
Feeding the People Is Still a Serious
Problem In San Francsco-May
Take Appeal to the
Country.

San Francisco, May 3.-No plan has yet
been decided upon for securing funds for
the restoration of this city. Although va
rious schemes. some of them apparently
feasible have been submitted to the gem
eral committee none of them has yet
been given even the semblance of official
endorsement, and the local financiers con-
tinue to worry over the problem, hopeful
that the early future will produce So
luton that will relieve San Francisco
from her great burden of municipal and
individual distress.
Each day at the assembling of the
general and finance committees the sub
ject has been up for discussion, but the
disposition of those bodies is to be con-
servative and cautious. and 1t is probable
that several of the great centers. of the
financial world will be consulted before
any definite proposition is formulated.
Early Morning Fire.
Other than an early morning fire that
threatened the safety of the several hun
dred patients in the Preside hospital,
today passed without special incident. The
gigantic task of cleaning the great ruined
district was commenced today on broader
lines. The curtailment of the relief list,
together with the decision of the police
to arrest as Migrants all able bodied men
without visible means of support who re-
fuse to work. has had the effect of remov-
ing many idlers from streets, and added
materially to the other army engaged in
municipal house cleaning. The larger rail-
roads have made good progress In run
ming spur tracks into the burned sec
lions, and next week will begin to re-
move all useless material which will be
used in other sections of the county for
filling and grading
Although the water supply in the
ruined part of the city is increasing daily,
there is not yet an adequate flow for
use in case of fire and all cooking is
still carried on in the streets. All the
banks resumed business today in their
temporary quarters, and reported that at
each place the deposits exceeded the
Withdrawals.
Business Permits Issued.
The number of permits issued for the
resumption of retail business grows lar
ger as each day passes. The committee
having this matter in charge says that
500 retailers are now operating in new
quarters.
Most of the larger stores nave COM
menced to pick up the ends of their shat
tered trade, and are installed in the resi-
dence section City Engineer Woodward
today submitted a comprehensive plan for
the rebuilding of the city 1t includes the
broadening and extension of many
streets, the purpose being to insure bet
ter protection against the spread of fire,
as well as to beautify the city.
In this connection Mayor Schmitz has
advised against entertaining any extrav-
agant ideas of the Identification of the
new city He said that the replacement of
municipal buildings including school and
fire houses would alone cost $l00,000000.
General Greedy gave warning to the
finance committee of the citizens COM
mittee this evening that he had only
eleven days rations on hand, that the
army could not furnish an ounce of
food beyond that which has already been
purchased or is in sight. and that the
feeding of the people is a problem that
demands immediate attention. After con-
siderable discussion the committee decid-
ed to have a summing up Of resources
and needs at a conference tomorrow af-
ternoon. Following this meeting 1t Is be-
lieved an appeal for food supplies will
be made to the country at large.