The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 24, 1904, Page 35

.\‘ P06 ['HE SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 1904. SAN FRANCISCO'S REPRESENTATIVE BUSINESS MEN CONGREGATE AT BANQUET TRONG efforts have been made to induce the War Department | to retaln in San Francisco the Government transports. This, | as you all know, has been successful, and our recent advices from Washington show that San Francisco will always receive | a very large proportion of this business. Another matter of great : tnterest to San Francisco is the purchasing of Government supplies | for the different governmental departments. Much correspondence has been had with the Government in this regard, and we are pleased | to say that our replies have been favorable, and that OCalifornia, and especially San Francisco, will receive a just proportion of this i business. The canal subject 1is one that this chamber has always | taken a very active interest in, and we are pleased to say that the President has seen fit o recommend that a canal be secured; there- fore, your board of trustees has indorsed the action of the Presi- dent in this regard.—From report of George A. Newhall, president of Chamber of Commerce. President Newhall Succinctly Reviews Organization’s the Achievements. President George A Nywhall‘l an—l.;.malp of listened to xusl report was attentiv lauded by merce of Ban Fr bave age the past e have be of report that or the inform you to induce San Fras s, South AT bos stees have E B o ol e service Ameriean as een ag Northern ortance to this also had our close measures of the seaboard should onsumed & good been the cover of claims in "RICAN MERCHANT MARINE pdoe oo | electing me president of the chamber. " ® favor o e e o e 2® | “Great credit s due to the press of San hept marine engaged In foregn | o oo U0 their eco-operation and support given to us in all matters pertaining to the | been shown by = Samelits & the peopl he Pa This your board made in regard it is the wish of yo goods to and those at | Our library col under the chalr- PBdward , has increased | the nu r of volumes in our possession. One of the speciaities of this committee has been to receiye snd go through the various bilis ress and we wish to extend direction reign commerce and revepue laws the chairmanship of A. D. ittee work that hes ma- importance of our for- mprovement commit- rgetic work of its has materially d. man of the har- ce, has been un- prove matters per- and great credit for their unceasing s, chairman of the recep- committee, has on d the edvantage of the chairman of our mem deserves the thanks of this ase of forty during the board of trus- awarded for the ich members of before long eciating thelr in place of tion and appeals power to i 280 of the total amount was borrowe: absolutely in the city ncisco n $50,000,000 and 000,000, showing or. ve steadily increased. report last year we su s in these clearances, yet we have again taken a step | | ! ! committee for its labors in | { | an Francisco by sea dur- earances amounted to §1,520,- ase $146.538, over | $12,000,000 per month. 1sco during tie over $150,000,000 our e should have $9,000,000 if the duty on en removed, but they cunted to coal and tea er had not show §7 tion of steadily in- to be between s of production for 1903 are as silver, foliows Gold, $17,500,000 copper, $6,000,000. | The approximate wvalu minerals produced in Ca | 1e $36,000,000. $600,000; orthern por- unted » carloads being The walnut crop the almond our wine The amount me 1 1 hachar 11,500,000 pour 6,000,000 pounds, amounted 1o 42,000,000 ga branc produced in the § galions. The bean crop amounted to 117,500,000 while the salmon pack amounted to 000 cases. Wheat was imusually small pounted to »,000 centals, barrels, at oll amounted X an average price of 75 cents per barrel. The raisin_crop amounted to 112,000,000 pounds ned fruit pa 500,000 cases; hops, 47,000 ¢ 186 pounds each; beet sugar, 154,000,- Dried fruits as follows: Prunes, unds; peaches, 30,000,000 ¥00.000 pounds: apples, ,,000; nectarines, 600,000 plums, 7,500,600, 000; silver prunes, 400,000. Wool amounted to 22,500,000 pounds; butt s Sy ur close | g0 060,00 pounds; cheese, 6,750,000 ' pounds. s bave been mafie i fa: The value of all dalry products was about eek and aiso for better | g5 000,000. Quicksiiver amounted to 26,750 | e iR N | fasks, wort! $- each lw'fioo 2,650,000 kg o norease of | Pounds, and canned tomatoes, 840,000 cases! e T “ P Before closing 1 cannot neglect to again | | refer to the financial condition of San Fran- ciscs/ and call your particular attention to the | wévance made by our city. We have lost by death some ten members: | Louts Simon, January 2i: J. H. Hecht, Feb- | rua: Bamuel Sachs, March 13; G. F. Swirt, | h 20; Irving M. Beott, aprfl 28; William | P. Thomas, April 29: R G. Sneath, May 3; Willam B. Hooper, July 16; Isidor Schwarts September 14; J. J. Smith, October 11 And now in closing I wish to extend to the my hearty thanks for their co-operation Pport and to express my personal thanks for their artive co-operation year and for the compliment in the 4 ORGE A. NEWHALL, President. | ———————— | LOCAL RAILROAD CLERKS HONOR FRANK BATTURS public good ew Orleans, where he is to take vt e B ,“",’:f”':‘,?‘vhn position of assistant general pas- atives ""J'{*"' | senger agent of the Southern Pacific . s feir 1o be held dies in an Francis Company's Atlantic system, was sur- rounded yesterday by the chiefs and i attaches of the locgl passenger depart- jment as he was about to leave the of- {fice and presented with a beautiful ways Jeading to | gold watch, fob and seal. by riher imfrovements | © The token of esteem from his old i n encourased and | associates was presented to him by £ act tion taken by this | General Passenger Agent T. H. Good- the excel- he mational own io govern- sled vs o a_good bai- for ihis i dve president and chairman of this committee, ¢ chamber are aue 1o our] man, who, in a short speech, referred to Batturs’ rise in the service of the Southern Pacific Company and his ap- | preciated ability as a rate clerk. Passenger Traffic Manager E. O. MeCormick also paid a tribute to Bat- {urs and joined with those present in wighing him suecess in his future fields of labor. To-morrow evening the passenger men of the other railroad offices the city will give Batturs a dinner at the Occidental Hotel customs collections | . grapes, 400,000 pounds; pears, 4,500,- | | sages of regret at inability to fulfill | speakers and most interested auditors. H D LOVELAND PROMINENT SPEAKERS. Men That Are Conve One hundred and twenty-five members of the San Francisco Cham- ber of Commerce and a number of in- vited guests attended the seventh an- nual banquet of that organization last evening in the Marble room of the Palace Hotel. It was the most repre- sentative gathering of the city’s mer- cantile elements on record, nor was there ever a more interesting series of post-prandial talks of the subject of | trade, despite the fact that several distinguished gentlemen who had | promised to be present and contribute to the oratory sent last-minute mes- their promise. President George A. Newhall occu- pied the center of the board and close to him were Vice Presidents E. R. Di- mond and C. H. Bentley, Secretary E. Scott and Trustees Frank L. Browm, W. J. Dutton, J. A. Folger, Willilam L. Gerstle, Rufus P. Jennings, W. D. Loveland, Willlam H. Marston, Thomas Richard, James Rolph Jr., Henry Rosenfeld, James B. Smith and William R. Wheeler. Among the other gentlemen flanking the president were Professors Bernard Moses and Carl C. Plehn of the University of California; Charles H. Spear, presi- dent of the State Board of Harbor Commissioners; N. P. Chipman, presi- dent of the California State Board of Trade; Frank J. Symmes, president of the San Francisco Merchants’ Associa- tion; A. A. Watkins, president of the Board of Trade of San Francisco; A. Sbarboro, president of the Manufac- turers’ and Producers’ Association, and H. D. Loveland, president of the Pacific Coast Jobbers’ and Manufac- turers’ Association. Governor John G. Brady of Alaska was one of the The banquet hall was most artistic- ally decorated and the menu was on a par with the dinners served at the Pal- ace. From 6:30 till 9 o'clock the viands occupied attention and then President Newhall opened the oratory by wel- coming the guests and quoting mes- sages of regret from President Benja- min Ide Wheeler of the University of California, President David Starr Jor- dan of Stanford University and United States Senator George C. Perkins. The last named wired from Washington these words: “Please accept my hearty congratu- lations and best wishes for each mem- ber of the Chamber of Commerce as- sembled at its annual banquet. The organization is taking a prominent PRESIDENT OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WHO PRESIDED AT THE ANNUAL BAN- QUET GIVEN BY THAT ORGANIZATION LAST NIGHT AT THE PALACE HOTEL, AND TWO OF THE rsant With California’s Mercantile Needs and Possibilities Give Expression to Ideas. and influential part in the new period of our country’s commercial develop- ment. I know it is fully alive to its opportunities and is utilizing the nat- ural advantages of the great resources of the Pacific Coast to make San Fran- cisco the entrepot of Aslatic and isles of- the Pacific trade, as New York is In the Atlantic Ocean.’ After the reports of the president, the secretary and Commissioner Bunker had been read, the chairman introduced Frank J. Symmes, president of the Merchants' Association, who delivered a very happy address. WHAT MR. SYMMES SAID. There were flashes of epigram in the remarks of the speaker. “Your fleld, he sald, addressing President Newhall, “4s the world; ours is tne city. The task of the Merchants’' Association is to keep San Francisco’s streets clean. When that is accomplished it may clean the City Hall. But, after all, perhaps the work of the Merchants' Association 1s the greater one. The re- cent action of the City Board of Health in removing employes without regard to the civil service may have been indica- tive of what was planned for other de- partments, and I am glad to have been assured by the health board that it did not intend to violate the law.” Mr. Symmes then expressed the opinion that South America offers a vast field for San Francisco’s mercan- tile enterprise. The trade down there is controlled by England and Germany, but California could obtain a profitable share of it by going after it in the proper way. GOVERNOR BRADY TALKS. The chairman then called upon Gov- ernor John G. Brady of Alaska to ad- | dress the assemblage, and the grizzled territorial executive got a very hearty reception when he arose in responsc. He told of Alaska’s business experience and home life, and when he incidentally mentioned that five children had been born to him in the far north, President Newhall occasioned a laugh by remark- ing that he was the sort of a man President Roosevelt is proud of. After reviewing Alaska's history to consid- erable length, the Governor spoke glowingly of the territory's resources. He emphasized the statdment that Alaska’'s wealth lies in the certainty of its moisture. The fisheries alone, he declared, ylelded enough income last year to equal the original sum paid by the United States to Russia for the territory. Then he boldly accused San Francisco of slumbering and allowing ‘Seattle to grab the trade of Alaska, and the accusation, so far from being resented, evoked applause. GENERAL CHIPMAN'S IDEAS. General N. P. Chipman, president of the State Board of Trade, talked of the valuable resources of Northern California and what is being done to advertise them. The people of the East, he said, are just beginning to understand and appreciate the desir- able home-making facilities that ex- ist in Central and Northern Califor-. nia. President A. Sbarboro of the Man- ufacturers’ and Producers’ Associa- tion discussed the wine industry. He sald the art of aging wine had been mastered !n this State, and that is one cause of the great success that is now following viticulture. California wines are growing in favor abroad, and the pure food law recently passed by Congress is keeping out much adul- terated vintage from France and Ger- many and correspondingly populariz- Ing the California product in the East. Sixty per cent of the French ‘wines sent to this country never came from a vineyard, he asserted, and Cal- ifornia is supplying the world with wines that cannot be beaten for pur- ity. “Not champagne,” suggested Pres- ident Newhall. “Not-vet,”. was the quick answer. FORMER PRESIDENT CRAIG. Hugh Craig, a former president of the Chamber of Commerce, reviewed the history of the organization and told of some of the godd works per- formed by it. He spoke of the time when Market street was a toll road and when many of the wharves were owned by private corporations, and then he deplored the existence of what he termed .the pilotage monopoly. “Compulsory pilotage,” he said, “must be abolished, even at the risk of hav- ing ourselvés accused of socialism, for it is retarding our port commerce.” Then he talked of the Panama canal and awoke a hurricane of plaudits by alluding” to President Roosevelt and Secretary Hay as the men of the hour, who have dene what the civilized world has been expecting to be done for four centuries. He predicted an early day when the chamber will be ‘confronted with the question of municipal owner- ship of water, lights and street rail- ways. and he hoped the chamber would face the questions manfully. At the conclusion of Mr. Craig’s ad- Continued on Page 37, Column 1. AND HEAR REPOB]S OF REGENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CHAMBER OF COMMERC : h HE foreign competition in export trade grows flercer. All the leading countries of the world are working for a larger share | of the export trade. This is no mere assertion. No one who | reads the commercial reports, the official statements and the popular literature of the business nations of the world can fail to | notice the increased competition in export trade. The American people have standardized their business intcrests, have raised the efficiency of their manufacturing plants, have multiplied their trans- portation facilities and have taken many strides of commercial progress. And yet the consular service dealing directly with export tlade is ruled by laws nearly fifty years old. In order to keep pace with our own commercial progress, in order to offset the ag- | gressive action of foreign traders, the American Government must raise its consular service to a higher standard of efficiency, a stand- | ard that may only be reached through recognition of merit and in- | dependent selection.—From report of William M. Bunker, Washington { | results that would representative of the Chamber of Commerce. Some Much interest was manifested dur- ing the reading of the report of Wil- lam M. Bunker, the chamber’'s rep- resentative at Washington. The tell- ing points of Mr. Bunker's exhaustive document were quickly noted and demonstratively approved. This is the report in full: WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 12, 1904—To the Honorable President, Board of Trustees and Members of the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco—Gentlemen: The Washington Bu- Teau of the chamber begins its third year un- der flattering auspices. The finished work speaks for itself. The future offers larger op- portunities. The bureau Is the natural sequel to previous prompt action by the chamber ad- ministration. It is only one link in a long chain of events. The past and the present may be pertinently joined. ‘The broad and strong foundations of the San Francisco co merce & to-day were at least partially by the Chamber of Commerce of San Fran- cisco. The home records and the files at Washington ehow that the chamber has fairly earned its power and prestige. The commer- cial history of California is the history of the chamber. Chamber initiatives have succeeded. The chamber was the first.to properly ap- praise the American-Asiatic trade. It forced the facts to the front. These same facts affect the trade issues of to-day. The present president of the chamber and his associated trustees saw the impending changes in Asiatic trade. While public men were discussing the effect on the Paclfic Coast of the Trans-Siberian Rallway . and were needlessly alarmed the chamber arranged an official inspection of the Trans-Siberfan route. It initiated a study of the new transportation facilities. It planned & commerclal recontoisance of Northeastern Asia. As the representative of the chamber I had the honor and the privilege of studying commercial conditions in China. Japan and Siberta_and later following the lines of trade between Asia and Europe. The inquiry into the Astatic trade involved Interviews with consular resresentatives and a special study of trade in Northern China and Eastern Si- beria. . Public interest centered in Northern China and Edstern Siberfa. These regions were the. first beneficiaries of the Trans- Siberian Railway. The records of the cham- ber show that its reports of Asiatic trade conditions were fair, full and faithful. The Asfatic demand for American breadstuffs, the demand for American merchandise and the follow Russian _tarift changes were discussed in detall. The neces- sity of officially. safeguarding American trade in the Russian-Asiatic region was aggres- sively demonstrated. The several reports made to the chamber were later circulated officially by the Washington authorities. In view of the political and commercial crisis in Man- churia and the changes that threaten Ameri- can trade in Northeastern Asia it is distinctly appropr that the work of the chamber in promoting, protecting and exploiting trade in- terests should be borne in mind. The chamber went to the very foundation of American trade with that portion of Siberia directly tributary to the Pacific Coast. The facts and the figures were presented in 1599, Up to that time no one had taken a trade cen- sus of Eastern Siberia. In one of the reports issued by the chamber the vital statisti®s of Vladivostok, Blagovestchensk, _Stretyinsk and and towns of Eastern Siberia w other cft re printed in the Englieh language for the first time. The business of each place was studied and classified. The social facts relating to trade |-and figures covering the industrial activities were, through the chamber, presented to the American _public. Incidentally the value of | partmeat dealing consular reform was emphasized and the ad- | vanced views of the chamber were fortified. CONSULAR REFORM. The chamber w: one of the first commercial organizations to stand for consular service re- | form. The vast foreign trade of San Fran- cleco widened the horizon of this commercial commurity and showed the necessity for a | more practical consular service. The service has been betteredAn the last few years. The ice is better to-day than it was a year But the service will not meet the de- of commerce until a consular reform all have been passed. of the consular service are: A regular graded classification, including all salaried Consuls or Consul Generals, based on the, amounts of salary, and so arranged as to permit the interchange of consular posts within the same grade, alone, or advancement grade to grade. The fixing of salaries for the higher grades sutficiently adequate to encourage capable men by promotion from The chief needs | by order of the President | 10 enter the service as a career, and provision | for the turning of all fees received at salaried ; posts Into the Government treasury, and establishment of a system petitive examinations, open to all, for entranca to the lower grades, of transfers and promo- tiong based upom superior capacity shown in actifal service and of retention during good behavior. = As the representative of the chamber I at- tended the annual meting at Baltimore, on the 1ith ult, of the Natlonal Consular Re- form Committee, of which Hon. H. A. Gar- fleld i3 president, and assisted in the discus- slon of the reform measure which Congress wil] be asked to adopt. The consular bill in- troduced by Hon, Henry Cabot Lodge, Senator from Massachusetts, and the bill mmtroduced by: Hon. Robert Adams Jr., representing the Second Pennsylvania District, were carefully of com- | analyzed and compared. The Adams bill, as | amiended in committee, was finally- made the conimittee measure. The friends of comsular reform may be felicitated on the successful agitation of the consular reform issue. While it is true that no consular reform bill has been | passed since’ 1856, and the service lacks sys- tem; the fact remains that active and ag- gressive agitation for consular reform has be fered the eervice. All that may be done by simple agitation has been done, and well done, and. yet the need of consular improvement is greater to-day than- ever. The changes in the curgents of trade insure an increasing de mand for better men in the service. EXPORT COMPETITION. The foreign competition in export trade graws fiercer. All the leading countries of the | symmetrical system. 'Washington Commissioner Bunker Submits Good Suggestions. years: in Eastern Asia, w ugh an increasing tonnage, we oming _into closer contact, and in many other parts of the world. The state of affairs that permits unin formed and untrained to represent th business interests of t untry in for lands is absurdly artific In practical busi ness life there is an ever increasing demand for the highest business ability. In the con- sular service there are men who have or had any business training, others who demonstrated their lack of busin: and others still who, for various reasons, are barely tolerable as consular officers. As the consular service is a business department the Government and the Consuls are supposed to do business In a business way, it follows that only men familiar with business and who have the business instinct should be placed in consular positions. COMMERCE AND LABOR. The Chamber of C ha abtlity, mmerce of San Franciseo early advocated the creation of a new de- rectly and in a public way commercial affairs of the chamber memorialized Congress needed department. Plans for with the strictly country. Th in favor of t the creation of this new branch of the publi service were advocated by the representative the chamber Washington at hearings e House Int and Forelgn Commer Committee. The department value. Scattered bure: at cross purposes ha has shown fis us that formerly worked u e been welded into Order has been ev The department is Privai towns r care than from confusion. on business lines. active cities and gets no grea t business by the new department. This is the general verd!. My own satisfactory experi ence ig an incidental fac rderly ana purpeseful progress of be accepted as an earnest ments. The appropriation necessary proper cperation of the depdrtment should promptly voted. Mone: Heeded for special probing of foreign ma forelgn methode and foreign trade d. The export trade of Germany is not based on lucky hits. That trade is not acciden That trade was born of official inquirfes in foreign eount Trained investigators found bottom facts and bottom figures. These facts and figures wers scattered throughout commercial Germany The Gérman traders moved in the light of accurate information. The American Govern ment has finally organized a department develop American trade. Given the necessary funds and given them promptly the Depart ment of Commerce r will be able to stimulate foreign a time when such stimulation will advantageously affect every part of the coun: If the funds of the De- partment of fow morths since had allow Secretary t sena Asla a specially expedition the export trade have been benefl than the anuu quiry division. the United States wouid 0 an amount larger expenses of the foreign in- The department has many .nd varied functions. At present the various bu- Teaus ‘are assemibiing guiding informat:on With this in mation domestic and foreign trade may be fostered, promoted and protecteq The Pacific Coast has a special use for the Department of Commerce and Labor, a greater u'i:,!pre‘rhlx;_sh thi: y other section of the country. This because the trade fie Pacific are without paraiiel. - 1 o® °f the AMERICAN ASIATIC TRADE. The Pacific Coast line of 12425 miles | (!AP natural American base for .\‘mf\n "':4" No other Western nation has an equally good e for this trade. Circumstances have con- n favor of the Pacific Coast. Sam o has been svecially favored. It is of San Francisco and Pacific Coast people generally to see that these favoring trade conditions are brought to natfonal a tention. hai is 10,500 miles, as against 5841 miles from The distance from London to Shang- San Francisco to Shanghal. It Is from San Francisco to Honeolulu. miles from San Francisco to the Philippines via the Hawaiian Island: San Franeisco has a Shanghai transportation advantage over L. don of 4659 miles. San Francisco has relat transportation advantages over Lond respect to other Asiatic ports. These ta; have been made more apparent t the annexation nd expansion policies Government. And yet neither the Government nor the public has fully grasped the signifi- cance of “the situation. _American public men Who have crossed the Russian empire on the Trans-Siberian Railway in the last two years have oraised the enterprise of Russia and have seen In the march of at emoi o Pacific waters a magnificent and commendab) national policy. ‘These observing American assert that Russia needs a Pacific trade base. They do not hesitate to say that in the ab sence of an Aslatic trade base the Russian empire will fail to meet its manifest destin They do not hesitate to say In interviews, addresses, books and magasines that this trade base must be fixed in the living present These views are being freely printed and broadly cfrculated. If a Pacific trade base is needed by Russia for the healthy exten- sion of Russian-Asiatic trade, how much mors necessary to the Aslatic trade interests of the United States Is a broad and liberal policy on the part of the American Covernment that 00 miles It is 6835 will permit the proper and natural use of Pacific Coast geographical advantages n American-Asiatic trade development. Is it not clear that the American hurriedly developed ? York base should be The distance from New n Francisco s 3200 miles. % om Dalny. the ussian aity of huria, to St. Patersburg ¥ B000 miles. is also over 6000 miles from St. Peters- burg to Viadivostok. These distances show the strategic trade advantages to San Fran- cisco. The distinguished Americans, more ¢# ticularly American bublic men who have si ply praised the great eastern march of Rus have missed the lesson of that marc ee or at least to mentis ian nation marches an easterly direction the American Dation marches westerly, and that in & trade sense the two nations are makinz for the same point. The promotion policy pursued by Rus- sia is more than Interesting to the American o | people. It is a warning. PACIFIC OCEAN TRADE. world are working for a larger share of the | ‘export trade. This is no mere assertion. No one Who reads the commercial reports, the of- ficial statements and the popular literature of the business natioms of the world can fail to notice the increased ecompetition in expore trade. The American people have standard- ized their business interests, have raised the efficiency of their manufacturing plants, have multiplied their transportation facilities and have takep many strides of commercial prog- | ress. And yet the eonsular service dealing gi- rectly with export trade is ruled by la: nearl; fifty years old. In order to keep pace with own commercial progress, in order to offset the aggressive action of forelgn traders, the American Government must raise its consular service to a higher standard of efficiency, a standard, that may only be reached ihrough recognition of merit and independent selection. The demand for reform is based on business needs. These needs are not of one class. and are not limited to a few localities. They are especially imperative in British South Africa, where American exports have increased from $3.000,000 to over $33,000,000 in the last tam ! bas expanded thousands of miies: The Government has an economic_interest in Pacific Ocean trade. The ecxpansion of this teade has made the Pacific Coast a natural official base. There are numerous fllustra- tions in point. They affect various branches of the Government. The great military depot for quartermaster stores of the United States army.is at Jeffersonvilie, Ind., S67 miles from New York and over Z300 miles from San Fra cisco. The depot was opened in the early part of the Civil War. Its location at that time, and for the mext quarter of a eentury, suited the service. But to-day, after a lapse of more than forty years. after the country has altered its trade methods, after the country short. in after the commercial. military and popuiation conditions of the country have, in nearly every respect, changed. the purchase of supplies de- livecable at Jeftersonville for use in the Phil- ippines, over 9000 miles from the Jeffersonville depot, is against good business Judgment. Most suppiies used by the army at Pacific coast points and in the island possessions can be more _easily and more cheaply bought at San Francisco and other Pacific coast points than Continued on Page 37, Columa &