The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 15, 1904, Page 7

—— THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY. FEBRUARY 15, 1904 DUTY AND OPPORTUNITY OF THIS CITY ARE DEFINED. S P X GENERAL C. A. WOODRUFF DISCERNS PROMISING FIELD Time Arrives for Taking Action to Promote Commerce. —— SomeMaterialBetterments Are Essential to An Advance. By BRIGADIER GENERAL C. A. - WOODRUFF. Now, when the minds of over eight hundred millions of people are centered upon the Orient and the im- portant happenings occurring or ex- Bected there, seems a proper moment to invite the attention of your readers to the importance to San Francisco and the Pacific Coast in general of estab- lishing close business relations with China and adjacent territory. We are in the Qrient and are there to stay; we could not leave with honor if we would and I think the majority of our people would not if we could. As the future of San Francisco, if it i& 10 become one of the world's great commercial cities, depends largely upon securing its share of the trade of the Orient, now, at the opening of a new era in China, is the time to secure this trade. The construction of the four thou- sand miles of practically assured rail- roads in China and many others that are projected will cause vast expendi- tures of money for labor, food and ma- terials and from this will naturally fol- low the development of new industries. Higher wages and a higher standard of living will prevail, all resulting in increased expenditures in other walks of lite. Great Britain, Germany, France and Japan are exerting themselves to the uttermost to secure this trade. We are, individually or collectively, doing almost nothing to bring it to our doors. The conservatism of the Chinese has & tendency to keep them in the business ruts once entered into; therefore, now, at the commencement of this new era and befcre the canal is constructed, is the time to create ruts that lead to the Pacific Coast; now is the time for or- ganized, combined, intelligent, well; directed efforts to achieve constantly increasing results which, once estab- lished, will endure for generations. Cul- tivated, as is this inviting field, by rep- resentatives of other nations, we can- not expect to reap the share of these benefits that by right of location, polit- ical conditions and natural advantages belong to us uniess we exert ourselves to secure them. GREAT GROWING MARKET. In forty years Japan's annual imports have increased from $1 per capita to $7 to-day China’s annual imports are about 46 cents per capita. An increase | in China of one-half that which fol- lowed Japan's awakening would mean imports amounting to $1,400,000,- 000 per annum. To enable San Francisco to secure her full share of this immense trade, intelli- gent, active work on the part of those interested and hearty co-operation be- tween producers, manufacturers, mer- chants and transportation companies will be necessary. This is not the time for “the silurian,” “the fossil” or “the knocker.” We have long looked upon the set- ting sun closing 'our Golden Gate; we should, in a business way, represent it as a rising sun opening that gate to a commerce that should reach to the farthest boundaries of China and even to India and Siberia, which would en- able us to dispose of, in what should become the world’s greatest market, our constantly increasing surplus pro- duce and manufactures. Great Britain, Germany and France send out commissions at great expense, part of which is borne by the Govern- ments and part by the commerciai bodies, to report upon the conditions .and needs of these people, to find out what they want and how best to meet those wants. We have been contented to “hold the sack,” hoping the lighted candle may induce some bewildered birds to enter. ©Our principal exports to the Orient have been fiour, kerosene, cloths and timber and that trade has come to us because a few individuals have invaded this field and pushed their goods, at . great expense, in the face of opposition from our national competitors. To-day we send to China goods amounting to about $15,000,000 per annum, or 8 per cent of her total imports, and receive from China about $26,000,000, or 10 per cent of her total exports. Take our great wine industry for example. We supply Jess than § per cent of the wine that enters China. WORDS OF OBSERVERS. To show that I am not an alarmist and that other observers agree with me, let me gquote: Mr. Grosvenor of the British legation at Peking in a report upon trade con- ditions said: “Englishmen should watch carefully the development of events, remembering that the great re- wards of enterprise will be to those who are ficst in the field.” Consul General Goodnow said: “I need not impress it upon you that Americans must now push more strong- 1y than ever for the trade of China. You have seen the situation, its possibilities and dangers. If the trade goes into other hands now it is lost to us for many years to come. “An exposition here will increase the variety of our trade, which is now largely in a few great staples only. Many of our important manufactures are unrepresented here. You cannot buy an American hat in Shanghai. I know of only one store where Ameri- can shoes are sold, and it has very few for ladies. Collars, stockings, ties and like articles of gentlemen’s wear- ing apparel of American make are not found in Shanghal. House fur- miture is very costly, and nene comes from America. American underwear cannot be bought here, except the coarsest kind. The American maga- | ment — BRIGADIER GENERAL C. A. WOODRUFF, WHO GIVES PRACTICAL ADVICE TO BENEFIT SAN FRANCISCO BY POINTING OUT WHAT MAY BE DONE TO ADD TO FOREIGN COMMERCE. /s zines are not for sale and do not come here, unless ordered from home. Prac- tically all the books are of English print and are very expensive. “A paper-bound book which can be bought at home for from 10 cents to 25 cents csts $1 50, Mexican; or 72 cents gvld. I asked a member of one of the book firms why he 4id not bring in some of the cheap American books. He answered: ‘We are a British firm and prefer to handle British goods." On the other hand, an agent of an American manufacturer said to me: ‘1 would as quickly put my goods into the hands of a German, Englishman or any other foreigner as into the hands of an American. I have no nationality in business.’ “The shurtsightedness of this arises from the fact that those very agents to whom he gave his products for sale have a national feeling in their business, and always, on even terms, push the products of their own coun- try. English prefer to do business with English, Germans with Germans and French with French; but Ameri- cans in this part of the world are lacking in national business pride and have suffered for it. No European will sell an American manufacture unless he can make much more money out of it than he could from similar goods from his own country. If American manufacturers expect to handle this market as their situation entitles them to do, they must be represented here by Americans. A long step toward | this would be the exposition. “I might multiply instances of American business which is done here | by men of other nationalities. A lead- ing American commercial body is to- day represented in China by a Ger- man—af able, scientific man, but his friends, his thoughts and his ambi- tions are all German. Our steel manu- | factures are all represented here by firms of foreign nationality, as is also | true of our steamship lines. The bulk of our cotton goods is handled by firms of other nationality. Even some of our American flems are officered by Englishmen; and I was told within the week by the head salesman of an American firm, himself an English- man, that none but the coarsest prints were made in America—that it was necessary to go to Ewgland for fine prints.” TRADE FIELD OF CHINA. John Barrett, ex-United States Min- jster to Siam, speaking of trade possi- bilities in the Far BEast, said: “China presents to-day not only the most im- portant but the most Interesting field of trade expansion and exchange not yet extensively exploited and appre- ciated by American manufacturers, exporters and merchants. The entire ¥ar East, from Singapore and Bang- kok in the south, Yokohama and Viad- ivostok in the north, with its harbor- indented coastline of 4000 miles and its population of over 500,000,000, facing the Pacific and looking to the east direct- ly opposite ‘our American Pacific shore, looking to the west affords a mighty commercial opportunity awaiting our best efforts. “However much we may deplore the war between Japan and Russia it is a ‘condition not a theory’ that confronts us and this letter deals with business not sentiment. Russia will probably be too busy to bother herself about trade conditions in Northern China and Japan is not considering a commercial invasion of China just now. The con- test will of necessity increase the pur- chase of war supplies and both na- tions will look to us for what food they cannot supply themselves and one reason why they will do this is that the superlative quality of the subsis- tence stores furnished the American army in China excited the admiration of the aillied armies. “As one writer put it, ‘the advertise- given American foods by the { quality furnished her troops on the relief expedition was worth to Amer- ica all that the war cost her." “The political situation is ripe for a successful American business invasion of Eastern Asia. We have not irritated these people by land grabbing. All our nation has asked for hag been an open door, a free, unhampered fight and no favors, and under the Tientsin treaties this is guaranteed us, and the develop- ment of China’s markets depends upon our enterprise, our energy and the in- telligent application of our business ability, in fair competition with the | other commercial nations of the world. “The diplomatic note of our Secre- tary of State asking all nations to join in compelling the belligerents to re- spect the integrity.of China will en- dear Americans to the Chinese-govern- ment and people. “Our Promotion Committee has done great work for California. Our Chamber of |Commegge has ever worked for the upbuilding of San Francisco and the Pa- cific Coast. Our Merchants’' Associa- tion has been a power for good in municipal affairs. Our Board of Trade has ably supplemented the work of the Chamber of Commerce. The Manufac- turers’ and Progdlucers’ Association has safeguarded their interests. The Pa- cific Commercial Museum has inaugur- ated a work of great importance to this whole Coast, but this Oriental market presents a grander field for cultivation, FUTURE BATTLE GROUND. “It is sure to become the great battle ground of producing nations. Our transportation companies are preparing to meet all demands that can be made upon them. Our railroads can double their tonnage and have shown their ability to safely and comfortably trans- port special influxes of fifty or one hundred thousand visitors like the Grand Army of the Republic, the Shriners, the Epworth League and the Knights Templar. The Australian Pacific and Oriental Steamship com- panies are increasing their fleets in an- ticjpation of this mighty commercial contest. “We ciaim to be the greatest pro- ducer, but that army, great or small, that fights with antiquated weapons, without leaders, relying upon individual action, is sure to go down to defeat before the well ordered battalions. Therefore, our commercial bodies, our transportation companies, our press and our people must stand together and work together with a common purpose and for the common good.” —_———————— INDIANS TO BE TRIED ON MURDER CHARGE Three Natives Confess to the Killing of Two Japanese and Are Placed in Jail. VANCOUVER, B. C., Feb. 14.—~The steamer Nell arrived here this morn- ing, having on board three Indians brought down charged with murder. In 1902 two Japanese fishermen at Rivers Inlet mysteriously disappeared and it was thought they had perished in a gale. Their bodies were never found and the matter had been almost forgotten until late last vear, when the Ind‘ans confessed the murder to a Methodist missionary at Bella Bella. The Japanese were murdered during a drunken bout, having been clubbed to death with paddies. The missionary communicated with the authorities and after investigation the three men were arrested on the capital charge. They will be tried at the next assizes. ———— FOUNDERED SHIP PULLED OFF ROCKS BY TUGS VICTORIA, B. C., Feb. 14.—Three big tugs pulled the steamer Tees off the | Trial Island rocks at high tide at 3 o'clock this morning and took her to the Esquimalt marine slip for repairs. She is not much damaged, although she struck the rocks at full speed. STEFFENS MAKES HIS RET_URNSI . Requires Large Figures to Give to Sacramento Due Credit. Kern County Trade Board Meets for Its Annual Conference. The annual meeting of the Sacra- mento Chamber of Commerce took place last Wednesday. President Stef- fens read his annual report, from which some valuable ideas relative to the advancement of Sacramento ml.yl be gathered. Speaking of the immi- gration work of the chamber, Presi- dent Steffens said in part: The immigration efforts are showing good results. Last year a good portion of the special immigration fund was used in advertising in a limited number of selected journals of the t and Middle West. A system was adopted whereby all of the responses could be credited to the paper whose advertisement had attracted the attention of the inquirer. Inquiries are still coming in from such ad- vertisements, This year the papers that had shown good results were again contractbd with, and to which other selections were added. * From February 1, 1903, to the 1st instant (one year) this chamber has received 12,500 earnest letters of inquiry, to which literature and letters have been sent in response, » Some of these inquirers have written a sec- ond and third time, for special information, showing that they are earnestly looking this way. These letters are fow coming to this office dally, in increased numbers.. People are coming and locating, and when the seckers for information have had due time to arrange their affairs locally, so that they can leave their Eastern homes permanently, we feel sure that satisfactory results will come of our im- migration efforts. Tt takes time, patience and persistent work to overcome statements that have been made against our section of the State, and to make the true condition well known East. 1 deem the results of the most encouraging character,: considering the short perfod of time in which the work has been earnestly done. GREAT SHOWING FOR PRODUCTS A great showing for the products of the Sacramento Valley was made by President Steffens, Who is quoted as follows concerning this interesting phase of development: The deciduous fruit shipments for 1903 from this valley, covering a radlus of say fifty miles from this city, were 6010 carlcads. The period of the seawon covered was from May 1 to_December 1. ‘The fixures show that the Sacramento Val- ley section shipped 86 per cent of all the de- ciduous fruit sent from California during the season of 1908 They also show that Sacra- mento shipped 253 per cent of all the Sacra- mento Vailey uroducts for that period. This output, as above stated, has brought gocd re- turns to the grower, and I have reason to be- lieve that the statment made to me s true that in this particular the past season has been one of the best for many vears. If so, it emphasizes the idea that a control of a proper distribution of the fruft in.the Eastern mar- kets is the best assurance to the grower thathe is to receive fair returns for his bor. 1 hope #oon to see such a_well-centrolled distribution set aside the precedents of the past, and that it will respond to the demands of a true spirit of commerce by paying the grower cash” for the products which represént hard labor and his anxious care. Tn addition to the 6010 cars of fruit as above stated there were also shipped from points north of the Tehachasi 99 additional cars of deciduous fruits, 150 cars of apples and 1800 cars of oranecs: of the latter, 1200 cars were grown in Kern and Tulare countles and from other parts of the San Joaquin Valley: 600 cars came from Sacramento, Placer and Butte counties. The Butte County product, coming mostly from the Oroville section, = seventy miles north of us, is the first to reach the Eastern market, and is consequently free from all risk of cold snaps that more or less jeop- ardize the later and larger shipmepts to East- ern markets from other sections of the State. SHIPMENT STATISTICS. Some of the products shipped from Sacramento were enumerated by Pres- ident Steffens. The array was impos- ing. The following cre some of the statements as reduced to figures: Hops, 5,400,000 pounds, that were worth 20 cents per pound on the average: 18,000,000 pounds: prunes, 2.000,000 pounds: beans, 1,000,000 sacks: potatoes, sacks: canned goods, 300,000 cas 250,000 sacks; sweel wines, 650,000 gallons; claret and brandy, 150,000 gallons; almonds, 800 tons; flour, 225000 barrels; beer, 75,000 barrels; fresh fish, 1254 tons, - The prunes went largely to Antwerp and Amsterdam markets. Some of the flour miils Tun eighteen hours per day and some twenty- four. It is reported that the dairy interest here pays about 20 per cent better than it does st The output of fish from the Sacramento River, shown by the foregoing table, calls for a more extended notice, Of the 1254 tons shipped. 944 tons were salmon. which mostiy went 10 New York and Eastern points, some going north, but none of It going to San Fran- cisco. Thrée hundred and ten tons were cat- fish and were shipped da, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and south to Ari- zona and New Mexico. The salmon cateh shows a marked Increase. In addition to the shipments already mentioned there went forward from Sacramento last yvear 160 carloads of strawberries to Portland, Seattle and to points west of the Missouri River. Ten carloads of cherries went to New York. Ripe olives to the amount of 125,000 pounds were also shipped. Bufl- ness was good according to the testi- mony of the mercantile community and also of the bankers of S8acramento. The building record shows an outlay of $837,000 for the year, largely for new homes. It is well known that during the early part of last year contracts were canceled and new plans laid aside owing to the differences which then arose between the Building Asso- ciation and the Building Trades. KERN COUNTY'S NEEDS., At the annual meeting of the Kern County Board of Trade the following named officers were elected for the year: President, C. Brower; first vice president, A. Welll; second vice presi- dent, G. J. Planz; treaSurer, First Na- tional Bank; executive committee—Gus Schamblin, J. A. Hughes, B. A, Hay- den, V. E. Wilson, J. M. Jameson and 8. C. Smith. Secretary Brundage read an annual report. The board perform- ed much valuable work last year. Speaking of the needs of Bakersfield, Secretary Brundage said a municipal building was required: a park and play ground for children wguld make Bak- ersfield more attractive; tree planting should be kept up for the sake of shade and beauty; better methods of oiling the streets and keeping them in per- fect condition should be used; lower rates from the transportation compan- jes were needed to enable Bakersfield to secure factories; pump irrigation should be encouraged. “Water, after all,” said Secretary Brundage, “is king; and with cheap fuel and plentiful fuel Kern County may justly claim super- jority over others.” —_—— The Nevada County Promotion Com- mittee will issue a booklet to illustrate Nevada County resources and advan- tages : . ECRETARY M'MAHILL WRITES OF NEEDS OF SAN JOSE SUGGESTS WAYS TO BRING : IMPROVED CONDITIO NS + Co-operation Affords a Reason for Bright Forecasts. Prosperity Depends Upon ~Wise Course of the Present. By T. B. MCMAHILL, Secretary San Jose Chamber of Commerce. One of San Jose's greatest a=d most pressing needs is additional interurban electric transportation lines. The coun- try about this city is growing in dens- ity of population very fast, and al- though there are now two interurban lines in operaticn and a third soon to be built, the Berryessa section of our valley, only distant a few miles from the center of this city, is in need of such service and especially in the hea- viest fruit season, when hundreds of workers go to and fro from this city to the orchards and canneries of that part of the valley. The evergreen section is in the same | condition. Campbell, Mountain View, Milpitas, Agnews, Morgan Hill and Gilroy are all sections which would support such transportation lines well enough to now more than pay expenses and within the next two years pay handsome dividends on the investment. An electric road to Mount Hamilton and the Lick Observatory would cer- tainly cost far less than the line to Mount Lowe, in Southern California, did, and the thousands of tourists who now gc there annually by stage would be quadrupled could the trip be made on an electric line, SUBULRBAN DISTRICTS. Another present and fast growing need of this city is the taking in of its suburban districts, which are so close to its very center as to restrict the city limits far within what they should be, considering the possible gain in popu- lation by adding these districts. The move to accomplish this needed im- provement has already taken form un- der the direction of the Chamber of Commerce and promisgs to be success- fully carried out. This city needs to take on more in- debtedness in the way of bond issues to provide money for the betterment of its streets, sidewalks, sewers, fire system, parks and all such other things as go to make the truly metropolitan and progressive city of this day and age. The splendid city reservation, Alum Rock Park, wilf bear the expen- diture of many thousands of dollars and every dollar so expended will come back to the tax payers of this city in increased values of property and the building of beautiful homes and in- crease of population of the better char- acter. [] There is no man in San Jose doing any business worth mention who is not in debt many times in proportion to what the city is—not without assets of ample and safe character, to be sure, but not as great by far as could this city offer to its bond purchasers. The incentives to successful management and endeavor in these days of high pressure in business and municipal life are obligations to be met which must be met, and the city, progressive and awake, is like the business man of the same stamp, ready to assume that the future may bring greatness. The city of San Jose needs also to add to its present park system, for, growing as she is, too many fresh air outletg cannot be provided to safeguard the health and pleasure of those who are to come. The excursion of our “300" to Los Angeles taught many the lesson of progressiveness and its power in city building and country building; there these citizens were told what they possessed in their “Alum Rock Park,” what it could be made and what the people of the southland thought of it and would give in exchange for it could they have it near to Los Angeles. CLUBS ARE AT WORK. The varfous ward improvement clubs "¢ 4 A i " 1 RRRLY | | el b HirL PHOTOS ~ SOmm GRAPHIC VIEW OF A PART OF THE BUSINESS SECTION OF SAN JOSE, SHOWING THE ATTRACTIONS IN A GENERAL WAY OF A CITY NOTED FOR BEAUTY AND BUSTLE. lately formed are taking up the work of having clean streets, clean sidewalks. new sidewalks Where none now exist, repaired sidewalks, clean vacant lots, more street trees, the | removal of unsightly board fences and of all fences on city property, the re- moval of all garbage and rubbish by contract with the city and at mo ex- pense except by taxation to the house- holders and property owners. San Jose needs more industrial enter- prises; manufacturing can be carried on here at less cost than in almost any other city on this coast. There are | miles on miles of splendid factory sites near this city, there is every advantage of transportation by rail and water and the citizens here need to awaken to the value of industrial enterprises and to support them with substantial inducements in the way of free sites and good bonuses to the proper parties who have money of their own behind them and something of established value to produce. Another need of this city is for more carefully laid out restricted residence tracts, like the Naeglee Park tract. The success with which this tract has been placed on the market and the way it has built up within the last two years is a lesson on what is possible along this line. There is every chance for good investment in this direction, and San Jose needs the men of nerve and capi- tal who will tackle this proposition. ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS. Along the line of “needs” comes the want of proper enforcement of laws ex- isting and the making of new laws re- quiring all property owners to put their places in better condition as a preser- vation from disastrous fires, of which this city as it now is stands in danger. Laws must be made and ways found to abate the nuisances of lots covered with weeds, sidewalks overgrown with weeds and covered with rubbish from year to year. All this is unsanitary, unsightly, and no city can progress with such existing conditions. ‘Within herself this city is one of the richest and most sightly in the world, and has only the lethargy of her own people to thank if she fails to make as- tonishing strides forward within the next five years, when the minds of the best people of the East are turned Cali- forniaward for homes and investments na when every other city in the State i fast increasing in population and vastly improving in every way. The awakening of Central and Northern California to her own wealth and real possibilities and to her su- preme advantages over any other sec- tion of this State 1s at last taking ‘place and daily it is growing in the minds of the best citizens that the future is a great one and that growth unprecedented is ours if we will but grasp the opportunities of to-day. “Do it now"” is becoming the mo!ul of every progressive citizen and this method of doing business is forcing those who will not to act in spite of themselves. Do your own duty and the fellow next door will be forced to do his or he will be removed and one will take his place who will. THE TIME FOR ACTION. Too long has the Northern Califor- nian put off until to-morrow that which he should have done to-day and the advancement of Southern Califor- nia has taken place while he waited. Now is the time for action, for jm- provement, for casting aside old meth- ods of business and adopting new, for taking up the work you know you should have accomplished last year. Clean off your desks, get the accu- mulated correspondence and details of years out of the way, get a clean deck on the ship. get your guns all bur- nished up and shining, load them with smokeless powder and when you are called upon to defend your city, your section, your State, you will be able to give an account of yourself in the battle for supremacy which will be known worldwide and remembered long after others have taken up the tools of labor which you have laid down. Co-operate for a “Greater San Jose™ was the motto at the banquet given by our Chamber of Commerce and Mer- chants’ Association of San Jose at which over 400 sat down last Wednes- day night, and the slogan is not to be forgotten. We have needs and vital ones and we propose to secure what we need. Be the sacrifice what it may, let the citizens of California remember that San Jose is in with them for a Greater city, Greater Santa Clara Val- ley and a Greater California. —_——————— LONDON MARKET DOES WELL IN WEEK OF WAR Secretary Hay's Efforts to Localize Have an Excel- lent Effect. LONDON, Feb. 14.—The Stock Ex\ change passed through the ordeal of the first week of the war much better than had been expected, and but for the heavy pressure of sales from Paris an@ Berlin would not have been great- Iy disturbed. The majority of foreign bonds naturally had heavy falls, Rus- sians being greatly depressed, but Sec- retary Hay’s efforts to localize the war had an excellent effect, and it is be- leved that a recovery in prices will soon be established. Fewer stocks were thrown on the market than anticipated. Berlin operators threw a quantity of American securities on the market and other causes helped the depression of these securities, but the market closed steadier. —_—————————— There are at the present moment in France 200,000 houses which have no windows, because — incredible as it may seem—there is still a Frenoh win- dow and door tax