Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-12-09

mittee on the, Belgium Relief Fund
mailed a long lis; CT checks and con-
tributions madcqby lie letple Of Bis
marck and .3urlei@n county for the
relief OF the destitute BelgianS to
Governor Hanna, chairman OF The
state committee, Hse..
individual amounts as high as
5000 have been given. The farmers
have contributed in wheat and in 9th.
er instances wheat has been sold and
the money handed to the committee.
At this Christmas period many are in
GLIDING in their gifts a bounty of sub
stance and good will to these afflicted
people. .1' ~ -,- .....
"r,> ~ How Distributed.
Chairman Herbert Clark Hoover of
the American Commission for Relief
in Belgium, who has just returned to
London from a trip to Belgium, tells
just how the relief is distributed to
the needy Belgians in the following
interview: >l. . ...,
"The detail OF the method is. that
after investigation by the communal
authorities, food7tickets are issued,
indicating the number and amount Of
ra:ions the holder is entitled to. and
twice daily this ticket is presented by
the holder to the food canteens for it's
quota and is duly punched. The ra-
ton consists of bread, soup contain
ing potatoes, together with a little
coffee and salt. IL
"All those who can afford to pay
are compelled to pay the communal
authorities at the rate of 4 cents per
diem per ratioa. The destitute are
given tickets gratis. The communal
authorities contribute to the relief
committee one cent per diem per cap
tia on the total tickle IS issued in their
commune, they obtaining this revenue
from the tickets sold or by public
subscription ii Ike cOmmuDes thrD :gh
the national COMMITTEES under our sup
eryision. The q funds ultimately be
come ava aba ~ us Tor lie purchase,
of food. Furthermore, the same "a
ton of bread and salt per diem is sold
through the bakeries to agreed lists
of the more wel-to.do population, and,
as this bread is disposed of at a posi-
tive profit, our income has some fur
ther increase. Taking it all together,
about ona-half of the foods which we
send to Belgium are paid for, so when.
the American people contribute. two
shiploads of food they enable us to
buy one more cargo.
"As a type of organization. that Of
Brussels is simply a large example Of
those in each locality. In that city at
present there are Il communal kitcb-
ems and 1877 canteens for adults, and
there are 1G kitchens and "a canteens
for children under three years OF age.
For adults, service food is prepared in
the communal kitchens and is dis
tributed to the canteens twice daily.
Tle kitchens and canteens for babies
are maintained as a separate organi-
cation in each commune.
81, In order to guarantee that children
arc properly fed, and that they are not
subjected to the rigorous rations is
sued to adults, parents are compelled
to produce all children to communal
doctors who are on constant duty in
charge of the canteens. Five differ
kinds of tickets are issued the moth
ers, calling for different types of IA
tons The tickets for the first six
months of a child's life are practically
for milk alone. Various grades of
tickets gradually evolve into the in.
PRODUCTION of more solid foods until
children three years old and over fall
on the general canteen. In order to
provide milk the eommunes have TAX
en- over the diaries.
One-third Of Brussels Charity.fed. .
The amount and character OF the
restitution may perhaps be appre-
ciated from. the present position in.
Brussels. OF the population of about
$4,000 remaining in the city, al v
age of 21S,0 900 were in the adult can
teen, and 5000 babies were on the
baby canteens last week, or more.
than one-third Of the total population.
There is probably no more pitiable
sight eve presented than the long
lines of mothers with children in
arms waiting their turn at these can
teens. In the industrial districts,
where the people naturally would
have less stores on hand than in the
capital, a much larger population is
now on the communal canteens. in
some instances over 60 per cent. of
theyWhole number.
Bruises consumed 5000 sacks OF.
flour per diem. There were just 921t
sacks Of flour in the city when our
first shipment of foodstuffs arrived.
When | left Brussels yesterday morn