San Francisco Relief Survey; the organization and methods of relief used after the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906

by Unknown

Sir:—

1. I understand from the morning papers that a telegram signed by you and Mayor Schmitz, has asked the retention of the Army on duty in San Francisco for ninety days from July 1st.

2. I have seen Mayor Schmitz this morning and he concurs with me in the belief that the relief of the Army on July 1st is in the public interests, and after consideration of the opinions expressed by me in this letter, I trust that the Finance Committee will agree in the wisdom of withdrawing their request.

3. The spirit of American institutions is obviously adverse to the quartering of troops in times of peace in large cities, which is in this case supplemented by reasons of a practical and economic character. From all sources, there is a consensus of opinion that the service of the Army for relief purposes in San Francisco was of great benefit to the city of San Francisco and the State of California. That July 1st marks the date on which federal troops should cease to guard stores, control camps, administer order and provide sanitation for civilians quartered on city grounds or private property, is my conviction.

4. Your attention is called to the fact that there are classes of worthy citizens who in considerable numbers are now deprived of their ordinary means of gaining a livelihood, either by lack of public funds or from destruction of private business. Among these may be mentioned firemen, policemen, school teachers and physicians.

5. Your attention is particularly called to the fact that a certain number of such persons could be given temporary employment by the Red Cross organization if the present guards and camp administrations of the Army were withdrawn. In short, the officers and men of the Army are now performing duties and rendering services which should be performed and rendered by the destitute men in San Francisco. I submit to your Committee whether it is advisable to favor a policy which thus discriminates against civilian labor because the work of the Army is done without expense to the Red Cross Funds.

6. If the Red Cross was not amply supplied with funds, there might exist a necessity for free army labor but such is not the case. The morning paper reports that Mr. Bartnett is favoring the immediate distribution of the greater part of six million dollars now in the possession of the Committee.

7. Of all the methods of relief that which most commends itself to me from a careful consideration of this question, is that advanced by Dr. E. T. Devine, and known under the general term of rehabilitation. There is no better way of rehabilitating a man than by allowing him to earn a living salary. In this case it can be conjoined with the care and relief of the destitutes who are rapidly being reduced in number.

8. It has been unofficially advanced that the withdrawal of the Army would involve conditions of disorder and that sanitary conditions would not be as carefully observed as under strict military methods. It is believed that the rigidly enforced methods of the Army cannot be equalled by ordinary civilian control and it is also acknowledged that the suggestion of a soldier with a gun is more potent in enforcing order that the directions of a policeman with a club.

9. On the question of order and sanitation, experience has shown that the people of San Francisco are self-respecting and desirous of conforming to proper methods of life as regards the three important points of order, decency and cleanliness. That this is a fact and not an opinion, is shown by the conditions attending the 43,000 people now under canvas in the City of San Francisco. Of this number 18,000 are under military supervision, while 25,000 are scattered elsewhere throughout the city. About 10,000 of these people have been continually under military supervision and 8,000 more have lately been taken in charge. It might be thought the 25,000 other people supplemented by the 8,000 lately transferred, would in the past two months have become centers of infectious diseases or the centers of disorder and violence, which has not been the case as infectious diseases have been sporadic and the conditions of order have been such that as far as I know no murder has been committed and only one or two assaults have been made.