The San Francisco call., 1906-07-07
CAMP CONDITIONS
A REVELATION
TO PIPPY.
Finds Refugees Living in an
Awful Condition of Filth
and Takes Soap to Them
MUCH WORK IN SIGHT
Neglect Has Been Grievous,
He Says, and He Intends
Finding Who Is to Blame
By LAURA BRIDE POWERS.

And at last relief commissioner has
run down the truth OF the suffering Of
refugees-a small part Of the truth
p0t enough TO set the machinery in
motion 70 relieve the baser brutalities
that every observant and unbiased
san Franciscan knows 20 exist. And
that Commissioner is Colonel George
d Pippy; and because of the fruition
OF his quest IL is said that he was ap-
pointed 10 deal With the complaints.
Be that as IL may. he has put his
nnger on one Of the canker spots of
the relief work-a camp where many
OF the people are sleeping upon wire
cots without mattresses: where blank.
cts are few; where soap is an unknown
luxury; where animal filth has gath
cred upon the bodies Of the people
upon the little ones. particularly;
where the common decencies are with
held from the city's people while mil
lions OF dollars-their own millions,
remember-are inaccessible for their
relief The camp is located on the
speedway in the Golden Gate Park and
Il may Interest you 10 visit IL yourself
And this is what Colonel Pippy told
ne IN an interview yesterday at Ham
iltOn School
But IL is only what The Call told
him and his colleagues a month ago
and divers times since. So. upon the
findings OF his investigation the COM
missioners and are unit
Continuing. he said:
i found those people without soap;
and IN what condition do you suppose
they can be without IL. out there in the
dust and CRIME? And when / found
number OF people-old folks among
them-withOut mattresses. 1 was as
tonished and indignant. for l could see
no reason at this late day for such
neglect
But whose neglect was it." I asked,
assuming II TO be neglect"
I do not Yet know where the fault
lies" he replied. but 1 do know that
the condition exists, and I also know
that IL must be remedied. and al once
The conditions as I found them
worried me. and this morning 1 COM
mandeered a quantity OF soap and
jumping into my auto. took IL out to
the camp. And you may be assured
the people were more than grateful to
get IT. The action may. or may not
have been regular but the conditions,
/ think, warranted it."
And again we were a unit
And about the other abuses-the
lack OF mattresses and suitable cover
ing-that viii receive immediate at
tention. want TO ascertain today
from the chairman OF the commission
exactly what my powers are. Things
are not as pleasant on this commission
S they might be- I am in hopes that
I may be empowered TO draw requisi-
tiOns in such cases as above. without
the usual delays"
Having had a hand in the relief work
I readily interpreted what the usual
delays" meant It was the commission
er's diplomatic Of phrasing what you
or I would call red tape'-the absurd
unbusinesslike. bunglesome and humil-
iating system instituted by the Asso-
ciated Charities. as II to withhold
rather than 70 extend, relief.
However, this much has been achiey-
ed-a relief commissioner has himself
seen and heard a part OF what every
interested san Franciscan has known
since the passing Of emergency days.
Whether it will be righted remains
to be seen. End in the name Of broth
erly love. let Us hope that il may. And
now
Dr. Devine promises a remedy in the
rehabilitation" plan now in embryo.
but growing.
But what about the needs-the cry
ing needs-of the refugees while the
plan is maturing2
While Commissioner Pippy is at IL, il
might be worth his while to have a
few heart-to-heart talks with the ten
ants OF Camp Lake. out near the Mar
ket-street cut Il might interest him
10 know that the people there have
been practically unable to get cloth
ing. shoes, mattresses, blankets, etc,
except through private relief.
No doubt there was some good cause.
But that didn't soften the hardships
that the women and children endured
from cold when the wind and fog blew
chill from the sea.
And IL might also interest Colonel
Pippy-since he is the ofncial com
plant" man-to spend a few hours in
the POtrero district.
What he viii learn there Will give
him things 10 do aplenty for some
weeks 20 come.
good beginning augurs well for
good finish.