The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-04-05

The Relief Survey is divided into six parts: Organization and Elmer
 geney Period; Rehabilitation; Business | Rehabilitation; Housing Rehabilita-
 ton; After Care; The Aged and Ir1- 1 firm. Some of the prime points em- phasized under Organization and
 Emergency Period are:
 1. The recognition of the American National Red Cross, with it's perma-
 nent organization, it's governm entaI
 status, and it's direct accountability to
 Congress for all expenditures, as the
 proper national agency through which
 relief funds for great disasters should
 be collected and administered; thus
 securing unity of effort, certainty Of
 policy, and a center about which all
 local relief agencies may rally.
 2. The importance of postponing the appointment of subcommittee until a strong central committee has
 been able to determine general poli-
 cies and methods of procedure. The
 hasty organization of sub-comnittees
 at San Francisco resulted in much
 overlapping, some committees getting
 in each others way so that. unneces-
 sary confusion arose. The relief forces
 were not united until a whole week
 after the disaster, and after unfortu-
 nate difficulty and bitterness.
 3. The desirability of contributions,
 especially those in kind, being sent
 without restrictions, only the local 
 tive needs at different periods of the
 work At San Francisco much pitt
 fully needless suffering was caused
 through the unwise restrictions inn posed by those who sent funds Or sup
 plies from distant states. The delays in securing authority for the wise use of these contributions were well nigh into1erab1e. The only safe course lies in placing implicit trust in an efficient and recognized director of relief such as the Red Cross is in a. position to furnish. ency administration a. body so highly organized and so efficient as the Unit ed States Army, to take charge Of amps, and to bring to points of dis those in need of food and clothing.
 5. The wisdom of reducing the bread line and and the camp population as quickly as possible after the disaster so that the reIitf sources may be con served to meet the primary need of reha bilitation. The care used in emer- gency expenditures means much In husbanding resources so that perma- nent rehabilitation may be efficient and thorough.
 6. The need of establishing a cen traI bureau of information to serve from the beginning Of the relief work as a clearing house, to prevent confu- sion and waste through duplication of effort.
 '. The necessity of utilizing the | centers of emergency distribution TOT the later rehabilitation work of dis | trict committees and corps of visi- tors
 8. The necessity of incorporation for any relief organization that has to deal with so large a disaster
 g. The possibility of strict audit of all relief in cash sent to a relief orga nization The impossibility of an equally strict accounting for relief In kind, because of the many leaks and the difficulties attendant upon hur- ried distribution. Care in this direc- ly utilized.
 Nothing can take the place, as the Relief Survey testif1es, of the spirit and devotion of the local committees At San Francisco the citizens showed splendid se1f-reliance and faith in the future, which enabled them to re- bound from nisfortune's sudden blow, and show what sustained and co-op- erative effort can achieve. But the most important factor, especially for permanent rehabilitation, in so great and complex a relief problem is a staff This was organized at San Francisco by Edward T. Devine, who in the emergency was called by ADD RELIEF LESSONS 2 fgvbSMsEI the American Red Cross to direct it's work. Through the reorganization Of fhe Red Cross, with Ernest P. Bick- nel1 as national director, that organ1- zation is constantly prepared to bring together on very short notice an efh- 7 eient staff MT. Bicknel represented the Red Cross at San Francisco after pr. Devine's departure, and was thus well equipped to plan the methods which the Red Cross has de vfsed for emergency use.
 The largest and most efficient char ty organizations throughout thel