The story of Johnstown : its early settlement, rise ... - JohnstownCafe

324 THE STORY OF J(>//XSrO\r.\.
discovered and some erronuoiis cI.TisincatiDn, Thus to secure the money for those intended hv
thedonors. a complete review of the entire list « as required. Thisis now beiiis; dom- liy the local
board and is showint; the new claims to l)e mainly f,'roundless, besides correcting; other errors.
This board is wm-Uiny rapidi)-, althonu'h taxed beyond physical endurance. The Flood Commission
is absolutelv dependent npon the Johnstown Board for the facts upon which to act. and
the collection a:.ii .i^siinilatioii of these f.icts, involving; the v.iried intere.-,ts of more than 20,000
people, is the t.isk of llercides
The Commission s Committee met with both the local boards separately and in joint session,
and between the three organizations a complete understanding; and co-operation exists."
These conferences evolved the statement of a set of principles which are proposed for the
control of the tinal money distribution, which the committee have incorporated in a report to
the Commission If this report is adopted and its resolutions made the act of tlie Commission,
the money now on h.md will be di-itriinited as soon as the Board of Inquirv completes the reclassitication
of claim-., which justice to the interested sufferers requires.
The curiously complicated facts, the accidental errors, the attempts at fraud developed by
the rei;istration the formulatin.i; of principles of classification, the nice discrimination required
in the assignment of claims to classes needed to prepare the entire question fiir consideration by
the Commission, is a work that cannot intelli,t;entl\ be described in the brief space at command
and can only be comprehended by actual experience
The Commission desires to assure the donors of the fund that the best industry. intelliKcnce
and energy at command has l^een applied to the discharge of their great trust.
The situation at Johnstown is encouraging The first distributions of money have inspired
the 7>eople and much life, eneri'v and proi»ressive spirit are being displayed in restoring the
town I'here is ample employment, at good pav. for all willitig to work.
The following e.xtract from a letter written under date of iiA mst by an olTicer of the Board
,
of Finance, will be read with interest. Referring to the work of the Board of Inquirv
They are exercising the highest kind of judicial functions, and they will encounter a great
inan\- cases in which thev will h.i\e to collect the e\'idence before making a decision. I ha\e
been frequently in conference with them in regard to the apfilication of the principles which
are to govern them, and I can assure you that the work is difficult, and it is impossible to hurry
it. I think the feeling of the people here has greatly changed. They are more concerned now
in having a proper and equitable distnbutior. than m having a speedy distribution "
By order of the Flood Relief Commission .
J.
B. Kremek, Si-n\-i,:}y.
At a niectint; of the Ccimnii>-,ic)n on September 13th a plan was prcsentcil
bv a coniinittoe appointeil for tlie ptirpnsc for a final iiistrilniti(3n to the citizens
of the ConenianL;li \ alle\ .
This plan had received lon'g; ami tlilitjent consideration.
It conteinplate(i i^MNim; particular attention to the following; classes
of snfferers :
First. — Widows ami orphans, maile so by the flood, who lost their all
Second —Widows, orphans and old and infirm persiDns, not made so by the flood, but who
lost their all.
Third. — The same classes as above, but who were not entirely dependent upon this charity,
having some other property.
Fourth — Persons other than the above who suffered a t'ltal loss by the tlood
Fifth. —Such as lost he,a\-ily f'y the tlood, having some means yet at their command, but
needing assistance to i^ne them a fair ^nrt.
On this general plan the Ci uninission decided to make an ap[iropriation