Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-15
The Need of the Hour,


The Need of the Hour.
A body of representative Angele1os
met some days ago in the rooms OF our
Board of Trade to discuss the best
methods to pursue in the continued de-
velopment OF the many resources OF this
section. Few parts of the world need
less, if any, effort on the part of their
people to create or maintain prosperity
than does ours. Its varied and rich re-
sources, as well as its utterly matchless
climate, are we'll known as household
words in nearly every hamlet on this
continent, and the fame of these things
has spread to the other hemispheres.
Still this action on the part of those
interested is most commendable, and
the programme marked out at the meet
ing should meet with the most active
cooperation at the hands of all our
people. 1t was emphatically the sense
of those present on the occasion referred
to that manufacturing industries ought
to be encouraged in this city. There is
no doubt that there are now openings
here OF the most inviting nature tor
many such enterprises. Population has
grown at an utterly Unprecedented pace
hereabouts. This county, which few
years ago numbered scarcely twenty
thousand souls, to-day contains over one
hundred and fifty tht usand people. San
Diego, San Bern ardino. Ventura
and other counties have grown
nearly, if not quite, as rapidly.
With this increase in population there
has been but little development in our
manufacturing industries. To make
scores OF these enterprises pay it needs
but sound practical knowledge on the
part Of those who embark in them. II
that qualification is backed by mod.
crate amount of cash and plenty OF pluck
success is assured.
But there is even more Immediately
inviting field for enterprise than those OF
manufactures. Los Angeles county COM
prises millions of acres of the most
matchlessly fertile soil under the sun.
That orb, as he circumscribes
the earth in his daily journey
looks down on no spot so favorable for
the farmer as this section. One may
pass over all poetic programmes in
which the vine and fg-tree, the orange
and lemon figure. He may afford to
descend to the commonplace, everyday
proposition in which potatoes and cab.
bage play the most important part. Even
in these lines there will be found the
most seductive opening in the world iol
skill and energy. With the growth oi
population glanced at above, there has
been no adequate progress made in the
matter of providing food for all
these people. In spite of the fact that
three crops of potatoes year are quite
a practical matter on our lands, in our
cline we are often forced to import this
plebeian but indispensable root. True as
it is, that fortunes will be made in rails
sing cabbages in this section for the
Eastern markets when the resources ol
our soil are thoroughly understood, yet
we often import this vegetable from the
East.
Eggs, poultry, butter and cheese are
brought here in carloads from New York
Chicago and Kansas City. All these
commodities ought to largely exported
by us.
Now, it requires but little preparation
to get at work in these lines of industry
In few weeks revenue is coming in as
the return for labor, from the investment
of a little capital. 1t is great mistake
to think that all our lands are held al
fancy prices. There is plenty of moder.
ate priced lands to be had at no great
distances from this city.
Here is work for these gentle.
men. Let them list and catalogue
small farms which can be had at not ex-
orbitant prices. Let them get up ex-
hibits of the products of the soil which
we are importing. Show the prices they
command. Figure out how such en-
terprises will pay. Send these state
ments broadcast over all the rural dis
tricts Of the East. There never was SO
good time to advertise this section,
its attractions and the profits of farming
as at this moment. Let the committee
turn its attention to this matter.
---