The San Francisco call., 1907-02-27
RELIEF WORK MAY BE
BROUGHT To END soon
Report of Financial Condi-
ton to be Filed at
Next Meeting
HOSPITAL SUGGESTED
IF Possible Balance Will
Be Used to Build
Home for Sick
HOSPITAL SUGGESTED

Eleven of the thfrty-one members of
Corporation met yesterday afternoon
and resolved to bring the relief work
to end at the earliest possible mo-
ment. Another meeting will be held in
three weeks, and at that time a report
from the executive committee will be
received, in which all the financial con-
ditions of the corporation will be re-
viewed and suggestions will be made
for the ending of the work and the
disposition of the remaining funds.
The project of establishing a free
hospital for the sick poor of San Fran
cisco met the approval of a large num-
ber of the directors, but 1t is possible
the National Red Cross may not con-
sent to 1t on the ground that it is not
of an emergency nature.
DR.. Philip King Brown appeared be-
fore the meeting and read resolution
recently adopted by the San Francisco
County Medical Society favoring the
endowment by the surplus relief funds
of memorial hospital for the poor.
He was asked to prepare an estimate
of the cost of such a hospital and sub
NIT 1t to the board at it's next meeting.
DR.. J. Wilson Shiels. who has direction
of the department Of hospitals for the
Relief Corporation, spoke in favor of
IIiS PIOpOSSQ HOSplIdl, DIS QlQ OIHeI pcO-
pie who were present. There was no
general opposition to the plan ex-
pressed by any member of the board
of directors, and it was evident that
if the National Red Cross would con-
sent the proposed hospital would ma
terialize.
Shortly after the meeting had been
called to order the matter of bringing 6
the relief work to a close at an early
n 10 lI,x
member expressed himself in favor Of
it. Rufus p. Jennings introduced a
resolution to stop all further appropria-
tion of relief money and to bring the
whole work to a close by April Is. His
resolution further provided that the re-
naming funds should be returned to
the National Red Cross in Washington,
with the understanding that that or
ganization should appoint a board of
trustees to establish and operate a hos
pital for the poor of San Francisco with
this surplus fund. 1t was pointed out,
however, that 1t would not be possible
! to conform to the provisions of the
resolution until all the outstanding g
obligations of the corporation were
met. Then William F. Herrin pre-
sented a resolution providing that the
existence at the earliest possible date,
and with this end in view the report
already mentioned should be submitted
by the executive committee at the next
meeting. This resolution was adopted
unanimously.
| 1t was also ordered by the board that
| all relief work, with the exception of
emergency cases, should come to stop
at once. Several thousand dollars
worth of supplies now on hand were
ordered sold at public auction. Upon
request of the members of the judiciary
committee 1t was disbanded per-
manently.
The general understanding of the
members of the board is that If pos
sible the general relief work will cease
about April Is, with the exception of
the care of the sick and the care of the
camps, which latter will go out of ex-
! istence by August 1.
The resignation of Mayor E. z.
Schmitz as member of the board,
dated December 1s. 1906, was read and
| placed on the table. 1t was generally
agreed that Schmitz, as an individual
was not member of the board, but
that as Mayor Of the city he was a
member, and therefore. by virtue of his
position, he must continue to be such,
unless he resigned as Mayor. His resig-
nation, written at a time when he was
| fighting the relief work bitterly was
filled with criticisms. 1t was suggested,
however, that his absence from all meet
ings would not relieve him from the
responsibilities of director
F. w. Dohrmann, the local repre-
sentative of the National Red Cross,
stated that at the meeting of that or
ganization which he attended some time
ago in Washington the members sug-
gested to him that the corporation
should keep on hand large sum for