The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-02-22
FIRE RELIEF COMMISSION
JUNKED WEARABLE SHOES
Illuminating Facts and Reliable Figures Show That
Card Index System of Forest Fire Relief
Has Serious Disadvantages.

, ways. Leather is leather these days
and the poorest piece has value and
use. g.. 10.
Then there "as the case in which
106 boxes of shoes were sold to
one Cohen, of Virginia, second.
Rand dealer, at So box. A former
ar.uory worker who called at the
Rip-saw office had on pair of
shoes that came from one of the
boxes sold to the secondhand dealer
and that one pair was worth SO 4
any mans money.
It is stated that Mr.. Carpenter,
a popular employe at the Relief
headquarters, objected to the sale
of that lot Of shoes.
Clothing came in literally by the
train load. If the Rip-saw properly
understands the situation, much OF
that was contributed, some beina
old and some new. Be that as II
may, huge quantities were pur.
chased.
That clothing, carload after car.
load, lies piled up in storage space
in this city, controlled by the Red
Cross or the Relief commission.
Some is at the armory and some at
20 West First street. Much OF II
is heavy stuff, therefore unsuitable
for either gift or sale after winter
passes. Many believe that 1t is
mistake not to get it out to the fire
victims and why that has not been
done must be due chiefly to the
cold cad index system, rather tina"
cold hearts.
Large quantities of clothing were
purchased from stores and factories
and 1t Is charged that much shop
and shelf-worn stuff, out of style
and not e~sily salable, was unloaded
on the Relief commission at stiff
prices.
One prominent business man OF
TIluth told the Rip-saw weeks
that If much Of that clothing were
made over, secondhand stuff that
was disable or old stuff that was
out of style, the Relief commission
would have $4,000 worth of gar
ments much better than" can be
bought today, the Pre- ent day mate
rails being poor and this partly
worn or old stuff being of fabrics
not obtainable today.
As a sidelight on distribution,
story is told Of woman who had
been given five pairs Of shoes for
her children. They proved not to
be Of proper sizes and, when she
came back to make exchanges. she
was told that the committee had
found that she was not entitled to
the shoes because she had some
insurance. The woman surrendered
} the new shoes but asked second
hand ones, there being thousands
of pairs on hand. Even that small
boon was refused and the woman
went away resentful.
Many farmers donated potatoes
out of their stores for the fire vic
tins. In many cases names of do
nors were enclosed in the sacks
with expressions of sympathy and
wishes that the spuds might help
relieve the needs of the recipient.
Entirely too few Of those potatoes
have gone out to the fire victims,
many maintain. It Is further alleged
that very few of them are going out
at the present time. It is stated
that 5000 bushels Of these relief
potatoes, many Of them, at least.
donated to relieve fire victims, are
stored in the basement of the big
Bridgman-Russell building. After
this warm winter and if an early
spring follows, those potatoes will
be sprouting to beat the band and
at rate beyond the power of NOR
tai man to stop. Mr.. Carpenter
says that, at present, they are in
excellent condition. Others assert
that only few hundred bushels Of
them are seed potatoes. The thou
sands of bushels are table potatoes.
During the past two weeks there
has been a steady stream of fire
victims calling at the Rip-saw office.
Their stories are interesting and en-
tightening.
Immediately after the fire, every
person with a real heart felt that
practical rehabilitation of the vic
tins should follow. Those feelings
soon crystallized into words, assur-
ances and even promises. Agents
of the great state Of Minnesota
were sent hurrying through the
scorched hinterland, to assure the
people, induce them to stick to their
respective bits Of soil and promising
them a substantial measure of re-
Mobilization.
Now, after the fever heat is over,
a measly measure Of temporary re-
lief is all the Relief commission.
the Red Cross and even the legis-
lature has to offer.
Rehabilitation has been forgotten
or abandoned. There Is none so
poor as to preach it--save the Rip.
saw. The great family journal
stands firmly for a practical, sub
stantial policy of rehabilitation, not
minor measure Of temporary re-
lief, administered by Florence Night
ingale brides, from distant cities
and even climes, under the super
vision of a card index fiend and
small-minded martinez. Here's the
Rip-saw's slogan:
"Give the forest fire victims prac-
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