How The Relief Fund Is Administered

The Chicago Tribune, in un account, of the rnethod of giving rolief to the sufforers by the lire; says : The actual money subscribed in all y arts of tho world uiriounts, so far as ia known, toabout $3,000,000. Ofthis sum the I; :!iei' Coiiimittco has received about one-half, or, say $1,500,000. With this million and a hult' of money they have carriod on the work of housing, feeding, and clothing from thirty thousand to forty thousand people sinco tho 9th of Octobor, aided by tlie contributions of provisión s and goods which have also been made. But fot inuch of this work, money, and ui ui' -y only. is indispensable. - Lumber, stoves, furniture, crockery, flour, beef, pork, sugar, cofïee, tea, blankets, mattresses, coal and vanous other articles ubsolutely necussajy to the comforts aríd hoaltu of this army of dostitute people, have to bo purehasod with tho roady cash. Takc-, for example, the one artielo of stuves, without which the peoplo ■would porish. Two or thrae hundred wero given, wiiich would warm and oook for Ies3 than 2,000 of the 30,000 or 40,000 in want. ïhere was nothing to do but to buy, and buy with ready money, and of tho" kinds :mrl sizo of stuvos wantod thero artí not enough to bo had from the seaboard to tho ilississippi. They have been bought up by the ooinmittea, and given away at cost to the fund of more tlnn ÜJl,(M. Of m.it' r-----;, tin; ciimmittce, foroseeing the Coming nece.isity, ordercd thom from every where in the United States and in Canada, wherc they could learn that suoh artielos were manufactured. Orders went forward to St. Louis, Louisville, Indianapolig, Oincinnati, Djtroit, Buffalo, and Montr?al, and they wero gathered by thousands from all these points. In addition to all thi-, the committee has set to work at every establishment in Chicago, and from threetofour hundredareturned out daily. And yet the domand for mattresses and stoves cannot be met But, of course, all the business has td bö dono with c.ish in banda So, toj, of booseSi Between threo and four thousand have been given away - given a.vay absolutoly to the reorpient unless he elocts to pay for it - and full ñve thousmd are promised - while barracks have been put up which shelter a thouaand families, or at least five thous uil penonSi In every house and every fatoily room in the barracks is put a stove, a bedstead and crockery. These housos and barr.icks are built with the ready money, and with tho most rigid oconoiny - aided by the fact that the committee bought up at the price of a month ago all tho lumber they oould lay their hands on - the cost of this iudispehsubki shelter cannot be provided for at less than a million dollars. Thon coiiHis 1'ood-, of -whicrl the staple articles, notwithstanding the generous gifts havo to bo purchas-jd, and for which tho daily outlay is thousands of dollars. An immense number has still to be fed, though it decreasos daily, for tho licmcst i_r'-t to work for themselves and the dishoneat are &ut off, as the system for their detection and the judicious distribution of food becomes daily more perfect and accurate. At tha outset there was inevita bly some waste in the distribution or both food a;id elotbing, for all applicanta woro relioved that none might go hungry and nakod ; and thare wj.3 naither tho time nor the force at hand to examine iny case. But whatever waste there w.is, bu it obsurved, was on tho side of msrcy; and yet, now that this inevitable! waste is stoppod, and the abuses which arose, not on the side of distribution but on the sido of reception of bounty- whioh We tliink an important distinction - tho daily outlay of money for food, for some orts oí elothing, such as blunkets, boots and shoes, and for handliug thisenornlous bu-iiness, is vory great.