Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-08
THE SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF TRADE

The San Francisco Board of Trade held
Monday afternoon an important meeting,
at which the President, MIR. Taber, re.
ported that the State is generally prosper.
ous, but added: 1t must be apparent to the
most casual observer that the continued
cropping of the land, in the manner now
practised by our farmers, must soon reduce
its capacity for grain production. The
yield per acre on lands so cropped is yearly
decreasing. The nature of our climate,
the absence of moisture for part of the
year, seems to preclude the rotation of
crops, as Is the practice in most countries,
such being the case particularly in the
great San Joaquin and Kern counties.
What can be done to people our valleys
with large population who can make
money by tIllipg the soil? Would not a
systematic plan of irrigation, fostered, if
need be, by the State, be solution of the
matter? Would it not also largely increase
the taxable property of the State, thereby
decreasing the burdens of taxation, and bv
attaching a larger number of our people
to the soil, improve the permanency
of their habitation? Is not this a
question of sufficient magnitude that
the attention of our Legislature should
be especially called to it, SO that in
their wisdom some plan may be devised to
accomplish so desirable an object with
safety to the State and benefit to all
classes of our people If the great State
of New York found it wise to build the
Erie Canal and continue it under her fos.
tering care, for the benefit of its commerce,
why might not the State Of California
build irrigating canals for the benefit
of the producing portion of her citi-
zens? On the transportation question he
complained that the State is shut mp to one
railroad company, and which, while it had
been great beheft to the State, still was
a monopoly. He added A competing line
does not seem blessing of the near future,
and our progress as great commercial city
is checked. What is to be done about it
The route by the Isthmus does not afford
relief, and that around Cape Horn is too
slow. The canal across the Isthmus seems
the coming great boon, but that will take
SO long. Meanwhile some entertained the
opinion that the easiest and best solution
of The question would be the formation of
an independent line of steam propellers to
ply between San Francisco, New York and
European ports. via the Straits of Megel-
Ian, until such time as the canal via
Panama or Nicaragua is built. This
subject is an important one,
and should company be formed
for this purpose, it is the opinion of tfoss
of the membership who have given it some
thought, that it would at once receive the
hearty approval and Endorsement of the
general public, and would be of incalcu-
liable advantage to the commerce of this
city. Quoting one of the members :" 1
believe it to be absolutely necessary for
the welfare of our merchants, for if some.
thing of this nature Is not done we will
gradually lose our best trade for such goods
as come from abroad" The Inauguration
of this line of steamers would enable our
merchants to lay down in this city, in
voyage of seventy days, all European goods
as cheaply as they are now placed in the
seaports, and would at once es-
tablish our commercial supremacy over the
entire Pacific coast. The remainder of
the address dealt with the canal question
the hope that the Southern Pacific would
establish an encouraging freight tariff, the
increased Mexican aud Hawaiian trade,
and the necessity of securing favorable
commercial treaties with Mexico, Central
and South American republics.