The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-02-16
POOR SAN FRANCISCO .:
PEOPLE ARE STARVED
Unfortunates Suffer While
Relief Committees Juggles
With Many Millions.
Money Donated by sympathe~
tice World is Held up While
People Are in Want.

time heart rending, exists here.
With about $4.ooe.ooo Of relief money
on hand the traders into whose hands
it has fallen are keeping it. True to
their instincts they are striving to in
increase this store at the cost Of awful
sufferings to refugees of the earth
quake disaster.
The members OF the committee, land
holders and traders, cannot bear to
spend the money given by a sympa-
thetic world. They are comfortable
and they are afraid that the expendi-
ture of the money In real relief work
will "pauperize" the poor.
Falls Into Hands Of MiiIionaires,
After the earthquake here, people all
over the United States sent money for
the immediate relief of the refugees
and the maintenance of those made
homeless through =. the quake. This
money has ultimately fallen into the
hands OF a body of 1nillionaires who
have organized under the name of the
Relief Corporation. In distributing
this money these men considered the
refugees as paupers. and felt like they
were giving money out of their own
pockets, instead Of giving money to the
real owners. - T:%yt:;..
In the East IN supposed by many
OF the people +that*+ California has no
bad weather. The truth is that the
golden climate" is purely myth in
the winter time. II you have to sleep
In tent here in the rainy season you
can sufter as much as: you can in Du-
luth when the temperature is down
below zero.
Here is the absurd features Of this
thing. While snisI1en and men.
too, complain thats fhey do not have
enough clothing to keep them warm
or enough to eat, the Relief Corpora
ton has $4,000,000 on hand.
The millionatres appear to be some-
what embarrassed as to what to do
with this money. They have spent
some Of It IN building little shacks.
Their idea in building them was a
purely business one. just as much of
an Investment as IL ~ some outside
corporation had done 1t. ....
: ! L.; The ,Absurdity Of 1T.
sasssaaE- 90 90 much,
for = certain pariod5 OF time, "a, 90
that ultima telye these houses would
more than pay for themselves. The
people here have watched this thing
from; the beginning and have become
sort Of accustomed, to 1T and don't
realize the exact absurdity of the sit.
uation. @'S.>''
The 34,ooo.ooo will probably be
spent tor a hospital which is to be
modern, particularly from an architec-
tural standpoint.
Hundreds Of persons are still liv-
ing in tents. and the cold winter rains
make life miserable for them.
In contrast to the desire Of the re-
lief corporations to spend the $4,000
900 Of the refugees for a great hospi-
tai, are the stories Of suffering and dire
want heard every day.
Mary ksIIy's Story.
Mary Kelly, an aged refugee, who
lost her home in the fire. is one Of the
many who have esnnptained of outrar
eous treatment: ~
Il was refused food and medicine by
the Relief Committee" declared Mrs.
Kelly. 'They handle the refugees
money as II it were their own private
funds, and YOU pauper."
Shortly after the earthquake Mrs,
Kelly was given a shack to live in. It
was rainproof, at least, and was near
the site Of here former home. How
ever, the Relief Committee decided
that she must go to 1ngleside. the
home Of the aged people. Mrs. Kelly
refused to vacate and the little build
ing was torn down while she was in
side.
They wanted to move he out there"
said Mrs. Kelly, because I'm trying
to make my friends understand that
they have been cheated out of money
that is rightfully theirs. That money
was sent TO the fire refugees, to make
them comfortable, to build them decent
shelter, to clothe, and feed them. I'm
not tho only one who has been wrong
ed."
Pay Rent for shacI<s.
Every day hear of some poor wo-
man who lis turned out OF her shack
because she hasn't the money to pay
her rent. They want us to pay rent
rent for these little cottages that are
gifts OF our friends in other cities. and
while there are still $4,000, 900. Of that
money yet to- be spent"
AT Ingleside racetrack 500 old : peo-
pie are living and sleeping in cold,
unheated stables. On account of no
warmth. many Of them are suffering
severely with. rheumatism. They are
well fed at Ingleside, but that is all
the good that can be said Of the man.
agement OF tho home p.
The little stalls, whitewashed inside
and out are furnished with old second
hand furniture. But, Captain KiNan,
tho man in charge, says he is trying
to run the place at the least expense.
Generally, the conditions among the
'refusees Ia San Francisco are deplor-
able. The sanitary. conditions about
these camps are anything but good;
insunicient food and clothing are fur
nfAhed to those who badly need them: !
the refugees are shivering in unheated
shacks. ?: ~ y ~ I = -. So Ss5: 5.4..
And yet there is a surplus OF $4,000
OG0l - s#.'se