The San Francisco call., 1906-12-23
VISION Of ROPE
BEFORE MAYOR
Forecasts Possibility of
Dire Trouble Over the
Rents Of Park Refugees
PHELAN THREATENED


PHELAN THREATENED
Declaring that q rope might resent
the omciousness of the members Of the
Relief Corporation, that he could and
would oust James ID. Phelan from the
head Of the organization IL 1t suited his
purpose to do 80, and that he intended
TO hight In the courts the attempt being
made to collect rents from the cottages
erected ON municipal property, Mayor
Eugene Schmitx made spectacular
address yesterday afternoon at the
meeting of the Park Commisisoners
called for the purpose of discussing
the refugees encamped I'm the city
| squares.
Rehearsing the circumstances lead
Ing up to the imbroglio over rents for
the cottages, Schmitz charged the Re-
lief Corporation with mfsapplying funds
intrusted to its care and intimated that
he had In contemplation the appoint
ment of custodians of the money who
would come nearer to his own ideas Of
omcial worth and integrity.
The meeting Of the Park Commission
ers was called by President A. B.
Spreckels at the request of Schmitz
and was held at Office of Reuben B.
Lloyd. Schmitz came to the meeting
esquired by Supervisor Gallagher. He
adopted an arbitrary manner through
out his discussion with the Commits
sioners, several of whom made sharp
retorts to him.
Schmitz plunged into his lecture to
the Commissioners as soon as he ar
rived at the meeting, wasting no time
IN preliminaries.
CRTTICIZEs CONDITIONS
Some time ago this board allowed
the Relief Corporation the privilege of
erecting cottages in the public parks"
he said. Since coming home from
abroad i have made a careful inves-
tigatfon OF these refugee camps, and
have found the conditions deplorable"
Continuing, Schmitz said he did not
think these conditions should be toll
Grated. The money was contributed
to the Relief Corporation for the pur-
pose OF assisting persons made desti-
tute. and to compel these to pay rent
was neither just nor consistent
Apart from this. however, 1 do not
ed" he added. This board should
adopt resolutions forbidding the collec-
tion of these rents from refugees"
Mr.. Mayor, you have been misin-
formed" put in Commissioner Metson.
We did not give the permission to any
one to use the parks originally, but
simply passed resolutions allowing the
refugees already there to remain until
August, 1907. You are holding US for
something for which we are not respon-
sible.''
LLOYD ANSWERS sCHMITZ
Commissioner Lloyd said the board
had never surrendered it's supervision
of the persons camped in the parks
The town is in measure rehabi1i-
tated. and we do not think it is right
for persons able to earn a living to re-
main In the parks" he said. I'VE cam
| not. however, create privileged class
and allow 1t to occupy public property
to the exclusion of another class. 1t
was you, Mr.. Mayor. who asked US as
a favor to permit the building of these
cottages. They belong to the Red
Cross, and we have never authorized
the collection of rents So far as the
board is concerned, it has never as a
body made any move against the refu-
gees. All this is known to you as well
as to US"
Il admit I asked you to allow the
| building of these cottages in the
parks said Schmitz. 81 don't think,
| though, that the power of eviction
should rest with the Relief Corpora
| tion.'
The power given to the Relief Cor
| poration by the board was merely to
evict disreputable men and women
declared Commissioner Lloyd. There
has never been any misunderstanding
about that
SchmitZ referred to a visit he paid
| to Ingleside and to the conditions he
| found in the refugee camps there. Su-
pervisor Gallagher then explained that
| the Board of Supervisors had passed
resolutions against the collection of
cottage that cost $3.50 to erect was ex-
orbitant. He could not agree with
! Commissioner Lloyd that the cottages
were owned by the Relief Corporation,
| saying that the leases were not worth
| the paper they were written on.
TALKS ABOUT ROPE
President Spreckels asked Gallagher
| If he had observed the form of receipt
given by the Relief Corporation In pay
| ment for rent. Gallagher thought the
form of acknowledgment had nothing
| to do with the matter-that the money
paid was rent, and should never be ex-
acted.
| II would again ask this board to
pass resolutions prohibiting the coll
| lection of rents from people in the
city squares said Schmitz IF the
Relief Corporation keeps on the people
will become aroused and the end will
be rope. ] am prepared to meet all
the threats of the corporation in court
AS Mayor / will not allow 1t to con-
tinue collecting these rents.
/ II appointed Phelan chairman of the
corporation and authorized him to
choose his associates for the work. ]
may take 1t into my mind to appoint
another chairman. know I have the
authority to remove Phelan If I feel
| like doing so. / now have the matter
under advisement-"
| REFERS TO Trial
The discussion finally ended by the