Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-05-24

the distribution of bedding, cots and
clothing is on a more equitable basis
than before. There has been a great
deal of unavoidable waste. Now the
distribution is handled with all the
method Of great retail business. The
Croker school, the chief distributing
point, resembles nothing so much as Il
great department store. The relief
committee is seeing what can be done
to put lot of cheap restaurants on
their feet, so workmen and their fami-
lies who are independent enough not to
relish being public charges can find
food at prices within their means. Even
with the capital to start up these res
taurants will find it hard to get sup
plies. The relief committee may posi-
bly, sell them their daily excess of per-
ishable goods at cost.
1t looks as though the Chinese would
remain at their old stand on the coveted
hill site between the business district
and Mob Hill. They hold the cards on
the people of San Francisco, and show
no disposition to be bluffeG- Now, when
the city needs to retain every business
interest it possesses, San Francisco
could not afford to lose the silk trade,
the tea trade, the rice trade, even the
sweatshop manufactures, which have
been the support of Chinatown. Yet
the Chinese merchants persist in their
threat that if their wishes are not heed
ed they will take themselves and their
interests to Seattle or Portland. This
might have been lightly regarded before
the time of the Chinese boycott; but in
that time the merchants of San Fran
cisco learned the cohesiveness of a Chi
neSe agreement. Certainly, the Chinese
will not stand a removal to the remote
ard unattractive region of Hunters
Point. 1t may be that they will consent
to find a new site somewhere on the
slopes Of Telegraph Hill, which will
probably continue to be the tenement
region of San Francisco. 1t is certain
that they will go no further out.
Negotiations are going forward look
ing to the creation of Il corporation
capitalized at S100.000,O00 which will
be used in rebuilding San Francisco. +
is not a charitable scheme, nor an act
of relief, but a well-conSidered and
thoroughly business-like plan conceived
by California and Wall street financiers
with a view to offering high dividend
paying investment for the idle millions
of the East. The plan does not in
volve any guarantee of the city of San
Francisco or the State of California.
the realty of San Francisco being re-
garded as ample guarantee and security
for all money invested. The records of
realty were preserved intact and the
titles are perfect. The purpose is to
rebuild in sections as prescribed by the
commission which will have absolute
control of the new city beautiful. so
that earthquake buildings alone will be
permitted to be built within certain
zones. and so that the zones shall be
separated by wide boulevards and
spaces. which in the event of a future
confagration will confne the flames
within the zone in which it Started.
Property in the business sections of the
city is held at as high a figure as it
was before the disaster. and in some in
stances at higher figures.
Dynamiting to leve, walls will here
after be prohibited 1t is dangerous
to life and destroys more property than
it saves. The mint has been damaged
10 the extent of $4,000 by the dyna-
mite used on walls in the neighbor-
hood.
The number of persons in the camps
is about 10000 and Gen. Greeley esti-
mates that 250000 persons are being
fed daily