2 | General Orders, No. 18
HEADQUARTERS PACIFIC DIVISION,
San Francisco, Cal., April 29, 1906.
I. In order to economically and efficiently perform the non-military duties of distributing relief supplies, the City of San Francisco is hereby divided into seven civil sections, as described in Paragraph XIV.
II. The following named officers are charged, generally, with administrative duties, as follows:
1. Major Lea Febiger, Inspector General; in general charge of the organization of relief stations, of their personnel, methods of administration and requisitions. Headquarters: Hamilton School Building, on Geary Street near Scott Street.
2. Major C. A. Devol, Depot Quartermaster; with all questions of transportation, storage, and allied duties. Headquarters: Presidio Wharf.
3. Major C. R. Krauthoff, Depot Commissary, with the commissary duties in connection with providing food supplies and the filling of requisitions approved by Major Febiger, Dr. Edward T. Devine, Special Representative of the National Red Cross, or other duly authorized agents or officials. Headquarters: Folsom Street Wharf.
4. An officer of the Army, not yet selected; with supplies other than food, and the filling of requisitions for such supplies after approval by Major Febiger, Dr. Devine, or other duly authorized official. Pending his selection these duties will be performed by Major Devol. Headquarters: Presidio Wharf.
5. Lieutenant Colonel G. H. Torney, M. D., U. S. A., has been placed in charge of all sanitary work. He is charged with the proper organization of sanitation, the formulation of regulations to carry out the proper measures of safety against any danger from unsanitary conditions, co-operating with the Health Commission of San Francisco.
6. Colonel W. H. Heuer, Corps of Engineers, is charged with all duties relating to engineering problems connected with the work in hand and in this connection will consult freely with the civil authorities in regard to the water supply, sanitation and all other matters in which engineering skill is required.
III. As far as practicable, all applications for relief, (whether for food, clothing, tentage or bedding) will be made direct to, and the administrative business connected therewith transacted directly with, the officers above named. This will facilitate relief and centralize data and action relative thereto. The officers named will, as far as possible, transact their business with each other and with outside applicants direct, that is, without reference to Division Headquarters, the object being to insure an economical, efficient and prompt service for the distressed and destitute.
IV. 1. As soon as practicable an officer of the Army, with assistants, will be assigned to each of the seven sections enumerated, with the view of co-ordinating the work, and introducing at the earliest moment such methods as will prevent dishonesty or wastage, eliminate the unworthy and impostors, and insure economical administration.
2. Wherever an officer of the Army is not available a responsible civilian of the locality, designated by Dr. Devine, will be placed in immediate charge of each relief station, and assisted in organizing a proper personnel to carry on the work.
3. As soon as possible, rigid daily inspections will be made of every relief station, and local regulations introduced with the view of correcting abuses, neglects or mistakes. Relief stations will be reduced in number and personnel limited to the smallest possible number consistent with pressing demands.
4. The officer or person placed in immediate charge of each relief station will be carefully instructed by the officer in charge of the civil section to make his requests in duplicate, and those for food supplies must be separate and distinct from those for clothing, bedding, tentage, etc., because they must be filled from different supply departments. All requests must be in duplicate, and submitted through the officer in charge of the civil section to Major Febiger, at the Hamilton School Building, on Geary Street near Scott. In case of immediate need the requisition may be taken direct to Major Febiger.
V. It is expected and desired that commanders of military districts in San Francisco, charged with guarding of public buildings and other military duties, shall extend advice and, as far as practicable, needful assistance in the interests of the non-military duties of relief.
VI. Charges of wastage, deception, theft and improper appropriation of relief supplies have been freely made, and it is claimed that the food supply in some cases is too lavish in quantity, and is being issued without suitable discrimination. The period of extreme distress for food has passed, and at the earliest possible moment the issue of rations must be confined to helpless women and children, and refused to adult males, unless they are sick or in feeble condition.
VII. For the information of Division Headquarters, a system of inspection will be established through the Inspector General’s Department, in order that the inspectors may be facilitated as much as possible in gaining information giving a clear idea as to how the work is going on. All officers connected with the distribution of supplies will keep such memorandum records, aside from their regular records, as will enable them to give to the inspectors a summary of the work being done, the method pursued, and in general such information and recommendation as they may have for improvements and economy.
VIII. The following permanent relief ration is fixed, the amount being stated in allowance per ration or per 100 rations:
Meat Components.
10 oz. canned meat or salt meat or canned fish, or
14 oz. fresh meat to the ration.
Bread Components.
14 oz. fresh bread or 10 oz. hard bread, or crackers or
12 oz. flour to the ration.
Coffee and Tea.
1 lb. coffee to 15 rations or
11⁄2 lbs. tea to 100 rations.
Vegetable Components.
11⁄2 oz. beans, peas, rice or hominy, to the ration.
3⁄4 lb. fresh vegetables (80 per cent. potatoes, 20 per cent. onions) to the ration.
Dried Fruit Component.
1 oz. dried fruit to the ration.
Miscellaneous.
15 lbs. sugar to 100 rations.
3 quarts vinegar (or pickles) to 100 rations.
2 lbs. salt to 100 rations.
4 oz. pepper to 100 rations.
4 lbs. soap to 100 rations.
11⁄2 lbs. candles to 100 rations.
It is recognized that exact conformity to articles herein mentioned is at present impracticable. However, the ration, commencing at noon, Tuesday, May 1, 1906, will be confined to the articles herein named, or proper substitutes equivalent thereto.
IX. After May 1, 1906, no rations beyond the articles above named, or their substitutes, will be issued from any relief station or district under military control, except on the prescription or order of a reputable physician or other competent authority. Issues of luxuries, or articles of special diet must be confined to infants or invalids. Any other course will speedily exhaust the very limited means of subsistence now at the disposal of the Army and of the Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross Funds.
X. At the earliest practicable moment, each of the four officers charged with the supervision of the work of distribution of supplies will report approximate data from which the Division Commander can determine.
A. The amount of United States supplies actually received to date by the Army and the amount in transit.
B. The total amount of all kinds of supplies (army relief and other relief) actually received to date by the Army.
C. The total amounts issued daily to stations distributing food, clothing, tentage, etc., under Army control.
D. Same for those not under army control in San Francisco.
E. Amounts issued to towns outside of San Francisco.
While present reports through lack of sufficient force and supervision, cannot be exact, it is expected that they will as soon as possible be reduced to the methods generally in vogue in the Army.
XI. Officers in charge of departments will submit a report as soon as conditions permit, of the disbursements made, or indebtedness contracted in carrying out the relief work by the Army. They will immediately submit requisitions for necessary funds, giving the period which they are expected to cover, such requisitions to be accompanied by notes explaining the reason and necessity for such funds.
XII. Officers charged with these duties will be expected to make such daily record as to enable them to make weekly, or when otherwise called upon, a brief report of the work done, and when the civil authorities resume the work to present a complete report covering their entire operations.
XIII. Rigid economy is enjoined on every officer of the army engaged in relief work. No indebtedness will be contracted without the authority of one of the officers named in this order or the department or division commanders. It is desired and directed that any unusual and abnormal expense be reported verbally or in writing to the Division Commander so that authority covering expenditures, apart from the necessary ones of the employees, material and ordinary routine, may be specifically authorized.
XIV.
Relief Sections[284]
[284] In General Circular, No. 1, May 1, 1906, Section 1 is defined as the section in which relief stations are numbered between 1 and 100; Section 2, between 200 and 300, and so on. This numbering was used instead of that of General Orders No. 18.
1st Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between 1 and 100, is bounded as follows: On the south by Fulton street, on the east by Devisadero street, on the north and west by San Francisco Bay, and Pacific Ocean, including Presidio Reservation, but not including Fort Miley reservation.
2nd Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between 101 and 200 is bounded as follows: On the north by Fulton street, on the east by Devisadero street and Castro street, on the south by 18th and L streets, on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
3rd Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between 201 and 300, is bounded as follows: On the north and east by San Francisco Bay, on the south by Union street, on the west by Devisadero street.
4th Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between 301 and 400, is bounded as follows: On the north by Union street on the east by the Bay, on the south by Market street, on the west by Devisadero and Castro streets.
5th Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between 401 and 500, is bounded as follows: On the north by Market street, on the east by the Bay, on the south by 18th street, on the west by Castro street.
6th Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between 501 and 600, is bounded as follows: On the north by 18th street, on the east by the Bay, on the south by the County Line, on the west by the Southern Pacific Railroad.
7th Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between 601 and 700, is bounded as follows: On the north by L and 18th street, on the east by the Southern Pacific Railroad, on the south by the County Line, on the west by the ocean.
By Command of Major General Greely:
S. P. JOCELYN,
Colonel, General Staff, Chief of Staff.
Official:
W. G. HAAN,
Captain, General Staff, Military Secretary.