The San Francisco call., 1906-07-01
Estimate Of 100000 for
July Not Basis for
Whole Year.
Large Construction Bill
to Be Contracted
at Once. s.
Refugees Must Be Housed.
Before Winter Rains
Come On.

DR.. Devine of.the relief commission
last. evening issued the following
. statement TO- answer some OF. the -Critj-
2 cisms the. finance. committee made OF
- the estimates for operating. expenses
n distributing supplies and caring for
the refugees: - -
IS. wholly incorrect and mis- lead
sng 10 say that the hundred theusa nd
dollars which the. executive commits
+. sion proposes. to- spend in July is the
cost Of distributing; relief. Our bud
get ls-for :the- cost. OF maintaining the
camps and protecting the Health. Of
the people in them and. for the care
Of the sick in hospitals. Et*includcs
the expense OF transporting: supplies
and managing the relief stations but
that Is the smallest part OF 1t, : The
J. principal. work. is giving shelter and
medical care, policing the: camps and
providing for the physical comfort OF
the refugees. We are giving them
some hot water. flooring fheir tents
and providing for decent Sanitary arr
Fangements. Over S29QQo Is for: Con-
structiOn and will not be "a monthly
expenditure II. all.
. 1t would be just as sensible to
e.
camps by the cost OF its mess as TO.
estimate the expenses. tor the thirty
thousand refugees now in camp IN Il his,
city by what Is spent Tor supplies.
In the sixty days: since. April rs
the Secretary OF War Is understood: to
have spent two and a hah million doll
lars A very small part of II has beer
spent Tor food. or clothing How much
we do not know until the War Depart
Tent makes Its. report. But certainly
the greater part of 1t has been for the
necessary expenses. OF managing the
camps, providing for guards and safli-
tstiOn, moving supplies, etc. = =:
All this work reduced in amount
OF course. but much less. reduced than
Is generally supposed must go on for
two or three moHths. There is no
intention, Of course, that 1t shall go
on for year All the refugees now
In camps should be housed Inrsome
way. before November, but SO long
as they are IN camps il VIII cost
money TO maintain the camps - :.
T he expense OF. distributing relief
Is a different matter. The depsrtTneflt
. OF special relief and rehabilitation has
thus far spent 10000 and the: new
committee. in charge OF thar WorkswilL
start with Siooooc~ :.iAll of that will.
be spent forrelief Whatever admins,
tr3tiye expenses are neeessa ssaTy-it will
not be large ainCunt-will' be pro-
vided separately Not. a dollar OF what
has. been appropriated Tor relief IS.
spent for administrative purposes.
We expect scritIcslIr4 and invite it.
II the budget. is too. large. 1t will be.
reduced. but there can be: no iI1teIli-
gent criticism unless 1t IS understood
that she work OF construction, Santa
ton and administration in the camps
IS distinct: work from. the distribu-
tion Of relief. that tits neces ssdfIly ex-.
Densive i II IS to+be: efficient: | am
confident Is will he lesSEeXpensfve un-
der the relief Commission than 1t has.
been heretofore. All our estimates
thus far submitted have been based
on the data supplied by those who
have been heretofore doing the work
and where ethere are: aiiY changes they
are reductions. -.
EDWARD: Il DENINE.'