Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-04-27
General Calamity Bill Authorizing Sale
of Bonds to Secure Funds Probably
Passed..-Army Officials Have Sole
Charge of Distribution of Supplies.
HEAVY RAIN DRENCHES REFUGEES
Storm Adds to General Suffering Among Homeless Or
ders Issued to Disarm Self-Constuted Vgilantes and
Where Resistance Offered to Shoot Them-Ci Regu.
aes Prices in Stores Which Opened for First Time Today

San Francisco, April 27.-Plans to
secure money for the prompt re-
building OF the devastated city have
been considered by the committee in
charge Of rebuilding, ana at gen
eral meeting of the executive commit
tee, including Mayor Schmitz, Gener
als Funston and Greeley, Secretary
Metcalfe, Garrett Mclnery and others,
a message to Governor Pardee was
drawn urging him to call special ses-
sion of the legislature, in order that
a general calamity bill, empowering
the city to circulate enough bonds to
insure the rebuilding of the
city might be passed. The
food committee also brought in q re-
port stating that there was u guam
tity of food supplies on hand, and that
trouble was being caused by the guam
titles of perishable food that was being
wasted.
Distribution in Charge of Army.
The fact that the distribution OF
food and supplies will now be in
charge of the United States Army, and
that the waste that has characterized
The unsystematic relief ssas ended,
people are turning their minds to re.
building, and a spirit of calm reassur
ance takes the place of the excite
ment and fear that has held com
plete sway over the minds OF all since
the first shock. The optimistic feeling
that lightning never strikes twice in
the same place" has created a vein of
feeling OF assurance for the city's safe
ny, and citizens everywhere are turn
ing their attention to the reconstruc-
tion OF their business.
City Regulates Prices.
A number of retail stores have al
ready opened and more are being put
in readiness to open tomorrow. The
municipal government has taken the
authority to regulate prices and
staples are offered at even less than
1heir normal rate. This is to elimi.
nate the possibility Of heartless, grasp
ing merchants, making their goods
prohibitive except to the very rich.
The scale of prices authorized by the
city was planned with view of max
ing whatever supplies are needed, ac-
cessible even to the very poor.
No Distinction Between Rich and Poor.
One of the features of the entire
work of relief and reconstruction has
been the willingness of even the
wealthiest men to shoulder pick and
shovel if necessary and work side by
side with the poorest laborer in the
search for dead bodies in the ruins
or in an effort to rescue, where hu
man beings buried in wrecks of build
ings were thought to be still alive.
Self Appointed Guards Disiked.
The municipality today took firm
stand against the self-appointed relief
guards, who with no authority have
taken charge of a number of outlying
districts, and by their assumption Of
authority have made themselves OBJ
noxious to the citizens, and even
through their ofliciousness frequently
obstructed the work of rescue.
Responsible persons have been stop.
ped at night on the street by these
so-called vigilantes, and made to give
humiliating explanations of why they
were abroad after dark. In some cas-
es even shots have been fired at per-
sons who were perfectly inoffensive.
VigiIantes Be Shot Down.
Mayor Schmitz has taken peremp-
tory steps in dlsposing of these nuis-
ances by giving orders where ever
found, they were to be disarmed and
in case of resistance, the vigilantes are
to be given the treatment accorded
common hooters, that is, shot in their
tracks. 1t was one of these vigilan-
tes who caused the death of Major
Tilden of the relief committee who
was shot to death while doing relief
work in his Red Cross automobile.
Overwhelmed With Contributions.
Secretary Metcalfe has been over
whelmed with contributions and has
issued statement of the amount re-
ceived. He said today: "These con-
tributions have been so numerous and
come SO rapidly that I have been un.