The San Francisco call., 1906-09-15
DOHRMANN FEARS
TROUBLE AHEAD.

IF we do not get the funds collected
In the East for the relief of San Fran
cisco. but not yet turned over to the
Relief Corporation, it will be a great
calamity. We shall be stuck in the
middle of the stream with our plans
half completed"
Thus spoke F. w. Dohrmann, vice
president of the Relief Corporation,
when asked what will be the result
II the $2,S00,000 of relief money held
In the East is disbursed by agents act
ing independently of the local corpora
ton organized to handle the fund
of course" continued Mr. Dohrmann,
the people who gave the money have
the right to know whether it is to be
expended in conformity with the inten-
tions of the ones who gave it, 1t is
hardly right for us of the executive
committee in charge of the funds that
are here to claim that we are doing
the work as well as we would like to
do 1t, or that others would not do it
much better. But so far as the in
structions given to the gentlemen who
are coming here to investigate are con-
cerned,- it seems to me that we are
acting along the lines contained in the
instructions. They want the money ex-
pended in helping the people who suf-
fered from the calamity, and that is
exactly what we are doing. -
HOW MONEY IS EXPENDED.
1.-THE funds so far used have been
expended to feed the hungry. to clothe
those who had lost their raiment, to
house those who have no shelter, to
nurse and give medical attention to
those who are sick, either at their
homes or in maintaining them in hos
pitals; to assist those who desire again
to becoming self-sustaining by rehabili-
tating their homes with the most nee
essary articles of household furniture,
and to do everything we can to enable
Industrious and self-respecting people
to get back through their own efforts
to normal conditions which prevailed
previous to the fire. In addition. we
have to look out for the sanitation of
are still living.
The money evidently has not been
spent in vain, since. in spite OF the dis
comfort which camp life carries with it.
the state of health of these people, as
well as of the entire city, averages bet
ter than before the fire.
Some months ago. before the
present corporation took charge. the
finance committee had appropriated
funds for purchasing land and erecting
houses of from three to five rooms to
be sold at cost on the installment plan
to worthy and industrious people, thus
enabling them in time to own their
homes, which they would not in any
other way have accomplished. Prob
ably report of this plan, which seemed
at the time very worthy one, has
reached the people of the East. and is
what they refer to in their criticisms
of our work as theoretical experiments.
But these plans have been Abandoned;
first, because of the executive commit
tee now in charge, upon a study of the
financial situation, became convinced
that there would not be money enough
even though all the money subscribed,
but not yet paid over to the committee,
should come in. Another reason for
the plan was that 1t would
have kept this corporation in the busi-
ness of collecting installments and dis
bursting them again for years to come.
which it was concluded was not the
intention of those who subscribed the
READY TO COOPERATE.
when the committee arrives here we
shall be glad to show them all the de-
tails of our xUOrL and after ft,II