San Francisco Office of the Controller Unemployment Relief Program Minutes and Reports, 1932-1938

Printable guide [HTML]

Summary

Creators:
San Francisco (Calif.) . Office of the Controller.
Abstract:
City documents received and/or issued by the San Francisco Office of the Controller as fiscal accountant for unemployment relief services during the Great Depression. The collection consists of a report by the Director of Relief for fiscal year 1932-1933; minutes of the Citizens’ Emergency Relief Committee (originally named Citizens’ Advisory Relief Committee) for Sept. 3, 1932 - May 1937; Unemployment Relief Program Reports of the San Francisco Office of the Controller for fiscal years July 1, 1934 - June 30, 1937 (there is also a cover sheet for the report for July 1, 1932 - June 30, 1934, which is missing from the collection); and a report called "Suggested Relief Program 1933-1934," also issued by the Office of the Controller.
Extent:
2.0 boxes (1.0 cubic feet)
Language:
Collection materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], San Francisco Office of the Controller Unemployment Relief Minutes and Reports (SFH 67), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Background

Scope and content:

City documents received and/or issued by the San Francisco Office of the Controller as fiscal accountant for unemployment relief services during the Great Depression. The collection consists of a report by the Director of Relief for fiscal year 1932-1933; minutes of the Citizens’ Emergency Relief Committee (originally named Citizens’ Advisory Relief Committee) for Sept. 3, 1932 - May 1937; Unemployment Relief Program Reports of the San Francisco Office of the Controller for fiscal years July 1, 1932 - June 30, 1937; and a report called "Suggested Relief Program 1933-1934," also issued by the Office of the Controller.

The collection documents the relationships between national, state, county, and municipal government bodies in providing relief monies and services to San Franciscans during a time of transition from privately-administered charities to public welfare.

Biographical / historical:

The San Francisco Office of the Controller is responsible for managing the accounting, auditing, and other financial functions of the City. In its capacity as fiscal accountant for unemployment relief services during the Great Depression, the Office of the Controller received documents and reports from the newly-established Director of Relief and the Citizens' Advisory Relief Committee (which later became the Citizens' Emergency Relief Commitee), as well as issuing its own reports and recommendations.

Until the Depression, local private charities administered the bulk of food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and cash assistance to San Franciscans who were unemployed. In 1931, existing charitable relief organizations were taken over by a public Director of Relief, who established family relief in the form of food relief.

In Aug. 1932, the State of California passed a bond issue, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors subsequently passed a City ordinance, effective in Sept., that created the aforementioned Director of Relief and Citizens' Emergency Relief Committee, appointed by the Mayor. Nine months later, the Federal Emergency Relief Act of 1933 (approved May 12, 1933) created a Federal Emergency Relief Administration and authorized $500,000,000 for grants and administrative costs. Funds were proportionally one-third Federal Relief Act funds: one-third State bond issue funds; and one-third local Relief Bond funds. FERA required immediate transfer of all emergency relief administration from private to public agencies, furthering the development of what later became the San Francisco Public Welfare Department.

Relief for a few categories of people was administered by other city and county departments as follows and is not represented in this collection:

"Indigent sick" by the Department of Public Health; "Aged, blind, and widow's pension" by the County Welfare Department, which was established in 1929; "dependent children" by the Juvenile Court; and "mentally deficient poor" by the Superior Court.

Custodial history:

Received in the City Archives from the San Francisco Public Library Documents Dept. at an unknown date. Items are stamped with SFPL Documents Dept. property stamp dated Dec. 27, 1976. The collection appears to have been previously held by the San Francisco Office of the Controller. Citizens' Emergency Relief Committee Minutes are stamped "received" by the San Francisco Office of the Controller, Relief Division.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in four series: Series 1: Report of the Director of Relief; Series 2: Citizens' Emergency Relief Committee Minutes; Series 3: "Suggested Relief Program 1933-1934"; and Series 4: Unemployment Relief Program Reports.

Physical location:
Open for research. The collection is offsite and advance notice is required for retrieval. Material must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research and available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. Photographs are available during Photo Desk hours. This collection must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], San Francisco Office of the Controller Unemployment Relief Minutes and Reports (SFH 67), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Location of this collection:
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102, US
Contact:
(415) 557-4567
sfhistory@sfpl.org
Website