The San Francisco call., 1906-07-26


- manner in which acquisitions
for relief supplies have been
handled in the past poured
in at the meeting of the Relief
Commission at the st. Francis Tech
nical School yesterday. and action to
correct the abuses without delay was
taken. Lieutenant H H Scott, execu-
tive officer Of the commission, was
father OF the revelation, and he spared
no details in order to make his point
plain. 1t is deemed probable that the
lax system he pointed out yesterday
is responsible for the loss Of nine
wagon loads Of assorted liquor and
wagon trains OF medical supplies, with
dishonest teamsters at the bottom OF
IL all
In a conversation with Captain
kilian, in charge of the Moulder School
warehouse" says Lieutenant Scott in
his report. 7 learned that the custom
has been for the warehouse to take
receipts from drivers OF wagons for
goods received by them from the ware
house, but that apart from this receipt
no other receipt is taken, so that there
has been nothing 10 show that these
goods have actually reached their des-
tination.
"A similar custom has been followed
in regard to meat deliveries from the
Western Meat Company depot at Seven
teenth and Harrison streets. 1t VIII
be noted that there IS an opportunity
for enormous leakage between the
time when the driver receives his load
either at the warehouse or at the
meat depot and the time when the
sub-relief station receives its supplies"
TACTICS OF TRANSFERS.
Captain Kilian informed me that
he had one driver followed. and the
report was made that this man took
three hours 10 deliver his load when IL
should not have taken longer than half
an hour On another occasion q driver
OF a general food wagon stopped at a
store and gave a man in the store FIVE
hams in exchange for bottle Of
whisky.
In the case Of the bread and milk
orders. the custom as TO the receipts
has been different inasmuch as the
parties from whom the supplies have
been drawn have been required to
supply as vouchers for their bills the
original receipts from the sub-relief
stations for the actual quantity of the
respective articles received This Gus
tom should be observed in connection
with the meat and general ration de-
livery
After citing specific instances in
which certain hospitals made requi-
sitions (or supplies enough to maintain
a regiigent when in fact they had but
q few patients to care for, Lieutenant
Scott goes on to say:
In the distribution of meat, bread
and milk. when fully controlled by the
Office Of the executive commission there
Is economy and general satisfaction,
but in the case OF rations, beans, rice,
hOminy, bacon, tea, coffee, sugar and
vegetables. etc, there has been much
confusion, dissatisfaction and waste
owing 10 the fact that delivery on the
acquisitions for these things is not
controlled by the executive office owing
70 the acquisitions being sent direct TO
warehouse by the different section
chairmen and hospitals. This work of
scrutiny cannot be done by the ware
house manager. because ne is not in
possession Of the necessary data with
which 10 do il with intelligence and
Justice. and besides he is sufficiently
occupied with the work Of the pur-
chase, storing and transportation Of
the supplies"
REMEDIES SUGGESTED.
AS a remedy for the abuses specified
Lieutenant Scott makes the following
recommendations;
J. Absolute control by the executive
Office Of the output Of supplies.
>
Of supplies
3. Economy in the labor Of handling
supplies and in the purchase Of all
goods.
4. Reduction in the number of lines
Of goods 70 the schedule list Of food.
g. Assisting in re-establishing a
number of the smaller stores on nor
NAL business basis.
6. Greater satisfaction to the ad-
rnfnfstration and TO the recipients of
all food supplies.
Z. Introduction Of thorough business
system and order in the whole matter
Of food distribution.
These suggestions will be carried
out.
SALARIES ARE IN JEOPARDY.
Relief Commissioners May Suffer a Cut
I'm Income.
Rumor is rife that the fancy salaries