The Washington times., 1907-04-14
REHABILITATION
: COMMITTEE WORK
IN SAN FRANCISCO
Organization Prepares to
DiSband Permanently
On Thursday.
By Francis Il. Mclean and Arthur E.
HYDE


Next Thursday. april Is, the anniver-
sary OF the disastrous earthquake and
Ire mat visited San Francisco q year
ago, the rehabilitation COMMITTEES will
formally disband. whatever part Of it's
work remains unfinished, as well as any
new cases that may arise, VIII be taken
over by the Assoc iated Charities O. san
Francisco. In tle face Of many diff
culties, new and strange problems. fierce
criticism, lack Of funds, and unfore-
seen obstacles, the rehabilitation com
mittee Of the San Francisco Relief and
Red Cross funds has steadily pursued a
straightforward policy and has bene-
flied some 1900 individuals in the one
year Of its existence. This does not
mean that ali these people were given
the material help for which they an
piled; IN many cases good advice was
ali that was needed. and in others a
peremptOTy refusal was the lot OF i'm
posters and would-be grafters. But up
to February ! of this year material
assistance lad been furnished 10 20.SJZ
families at a cost Of S1.S5s 2622s.
Machinery of Rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation committee was the
outgrowth and development Of a bu-
reau Of special relief that it had been
found necessary 10 establish in the early
days of the relief work
To the rehabilitation committee was
intrusted by the finance committee all
relief Of a presumably permanent char
acter, excepting the erection OF build
lngs. It's chief duty was 10 re-estabIIsh
persons without sufficient resources to
re-establish themelves. Re-etablishment
meant anything from a kit Of carpen-
ter's tools 10 paying admission fees to a
home for incurables. II included house
hold rehabilitation; that is, grants 10
Pay rent and buy furniture, grants for
establishment IA business, and trans
pOrtation.
At the start of the new work is was
estimated that the rehabilitation com
mittee would require at least 1880. 900
Of the total Of about g. CO., 600 subscribed.
No one had any clear idea Of how many
thousand families needed rehabilitation
The estimate was 5000 or about 1880
families. and $1,553.55t, based on an
average grant of 500. a section com
mittee Of volunteers was organized in
each OF the seven relief sections into
which the city had been divided. The
membership OF these committees num-
bered ia all about 125.
Some Strange Applicants.
The mail brought scores Of applica-
tons daily TO the central office of the
committee. please help me out" wrote
one unhappy man; I am staying with
my mother-in-law."
Il hereby apply for ny Just pro rata
share Of all the relief funds" was a
favOriJe way Of beginning a communi-
cation; and again, a very fat envelope
would contain 2. full inventory on sheets
of formidable 5oolscap OF all business
and household losses sustained through
fire and earthquake, together with an
application for whole OF partial REIN
buTsement- The star letter writer was
an Italian organ grinder, who wrote
that he had drifted out 70 San Fran
cisco. There 7 struck hard times" he
continued, and being thoroughly dis
Outraged, ] one day sat down on the
curbstone, leaned my head against a
friendly lamp post, placed my hat upside
down on my knees and fell fast asleep.
When awoke, my hat was fun Of
dimes and nickeIs. Goodbye, work, mis-
ter; from that day to this begsIngs my
profession! But bye-and-bye profits be-
gan 10 fall of, and, concluding that
begging was no longer q gainful occu-
patton, 1 decided TO buy a hand organ
and monkey, and did so with q little
capital ] had saved. But alas, the
earthquake came and the FIRE destroyed
both my hand organ and my money.
VIII not you kind gentlemen Of the re-
Mobilization committee buy me q new
organ and new beast?'
The rule was made that no grant for
over $500 should be made excepting by
the whole committee, formally assem-
Haa in l-f1 fan- mt seaH
less than that amount could be made
by one or two members. The number Of
grants over $500 have been comparative
" few. Another fixed limitation was
that no grant would be made ii the ap-
plicant did not know Just where he
Erol-Ia ra-.st El-sh Ii. L-u-.