The San Francisco call., 1906-12-30
MAYORS ATTITUDE
UNJUST|F|ED
Fails to Prove Necessity
for His Interference With
the Relief Corporation
WITNESSES CORNERED

In HIS enthusiastic effort to discredit
the work Of the Relief Corporation yes
terday before the Park Board Mayor
Schmitx met with defeat that reacted
ON him and put his sincerity of purpose
In a questionable light before those
present at the meeting. 1t was proved
that the witness he brought before the
board had been evicted from the camps
for reasons that even the Mayor had to
recognize as being proper.
BY the evidence presented to the
Commissioners 1t was proved that the
Mayor had allowed himself to be i'm
posed upon by undeserving people VINO
had been offered due opportunity to
profit by the relief fund. Probably the
most striking example of this was the
statement made by Mrs Mary Kelly,
whose previous trouble with the relief
workers had earned for her consider
able notoriety. That Mayor Schmitz
regretted having brought the woman
before the commission as an example
of an abused refugee was made evident
when he blushed at the profanity she
quoted as having used to f. w. Dohr-
mann, who had offered her in behalf
Of the corporation $3.50.
mr. Dohrmann told me he would
give me $3.50 If I would pay my rent
and try to get others to do the same
and to keep from talking about the
Relief Corporation. I told him to take
his $3.50 and go to hi and be id.
They couldn't stop me from talking In
that way
After acknowledging that she still
retained a tent in Jefferson square and
that she had made a business of going
from one camp to another to stir up
trouble among the refugees, Mrs. Kelly
was dismissed, and Mayor Schmitz
practically acknowledged that her evil
dence was not good.
MAYOR INVOKES REBELLION
To make grand stand play In be-
half of suffering refugees was evident
ly the Mayors intention when the
meeting began. He announced that he
had informed all who came to him that
they should capture any refugee cot
tages they desired and that he would
stand back of them in doing so. Before
the meeting was over, however, he
finally agreed that some one must be
given the power to judge who really
needed the cottages most and to assign
them accordingly. He acknowledged
that as the Relief Corporation has the
distribution of the funds in hand
1t should be their mission to assign
the cottages. His conclusion was
reached after testimony had been pre-
sented to show that no person unable
to pay rents had been evicted: that only
four families had been sent from the
camps and that it was not because any
of them could not pay the rent that
this was done.
By request of the Mayor Mrs. Mar
tha Tuttle went before the meeting and
unfolded tale of woe that might have
caused tears to flow had not cross
questioning and other evidence proved
that her troubles were brought upon
herself At the time she was ordered
from Franklin Square she had a writ
ten order for cottage in another
camp. and instructions had been given
to have her property removed to
any place she should order it, but in
stead of taking the cottage that was
assigned to her., she and her husband.
acting upon orders of the Chief of
Police, took possession of another cot
tage and defied the relief authorities.
Father Crowley, acting for the Relief
Corporation, had obtained $3.50 for the
couple, who were both employed, but
when a young woman tried to deliver
it she was met with such a storm of
abuse that she hurriediy departed, and
the money was still with the corpora
tion to the credit of Mr.. and Mrs.
Tuttle.
LIEUTENANT SCOTT HEARD
Park Commissioners A. B. Spreckels.
r. H. Lloyd, w. H. Metson and Earl
Cummings were at the meeting and lis
tened to various statements made by
O. K Cushing and Lieutenant Scott
Of the Relief Corporation, and to Mayor
Schmitz.
Metson told the relief representatives