Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-06
THE TESTIMONY OF MIR. DE YOUNG.

LEE ASS1ANON1 CE MN DE 1CUNG'
NJ. II. De Young, Commissioner from
California to the Exposition Univer-
saille" at Paris, criticises the California
exhibition in language, which rendered
into more terse phrase, repI esents the ex-
hibition as a shameful failure. Mr.. De
Young's official relation with the subject
entities him to speak, apd his presence on
the ground affords the necessary oppor-
tunity for the formation of a judgment. 1t
may, therefore, be said that official in
formation is conveyed to the people of
California that the products and resources
of our State are shamefully represented at
Paris.
When this matter was first presented to
the State Board of Trade, that body made
sufficient examination of the subject to
enable it to perceive that there were no
funds with which to make creditable
exhibition Of the products of this State. A
committee, comprising representatives of
the various commercial organizations of
San Francisco, met with two Of the Com
Rlissioners to Paris in the Chamber of
Commerce. That committee was advised
of the manner in which California was
being neglected by the Government, and
decided that unless 4 separate and col
lective exhibition could be made it was
not judicious to attempt anything. The
Managers of TIE Paris Exposition refused
the privilege of making a separate
and collective exhibition. Hence the
matter was dropped. The State
Board of Trade exhibited a very
commemorate degree of good sense
in refusing to have anything to do with
it. 1t was as apparent to that body, as it
was generally to the people of California,
that a poor exhibition would do harm,
and that good exhibition could not be
made. Moreover, it was apparent that very
little good could be accomplished by such
an exhibition; that an exhibit distrib-
uted into nine parts would be so attenuated
in any of its parts that the State of Cali
fornia would not be defined against clear
sky, but would be mingled in undistin-
guishable confusion with the great world
at large. In a word, the Paris Exposition
may have Eeen an excellent thing for
Paris and France, but it offered from the
very outset no inducement to any other
country. We are now told by California's
representative at Paris that the State has
been shamefully misrepresented. The Con-
gress of the United States appropriated
$3.50, 900 to secure a proper representation
of the industries of this country at Paris.
The Commissioner General refused any
part of this appropriation to California
There is nothing new or unusual in this
treatment California has been so persist
emily left out Of consideration at the great
controlling centers Of national life, that
she ought by this time to be entirely used
to it.
But the Paris Exposition has done some
thing beyond disgracing this State in the
eyes of the world. It has taken from us
many millions of dollars, first by direct loss
on the part Of those who have left the
State to spend money in Paris, and
secondly indirectly by arresting the tide of
tourist travel to this coast. Paris has cost |
the State of California in this way about
Sl0,000,000 in gold coin this year, and yet |
the proposition of representation at Paris
received most friendly consideration.
On the other hand, a proposition was
mooted to place California and the posi-
bilities of her future conspicuously before
the world, by separate and independent
exhibition Of her products and resources
in London; not an exhibition merged and /
mingled in vast wilderness of exhibits
drawn from all corners of the globe, but |
one separate and distinct, projected on such
a scale of magnifcence as could not fail
to accomplish a vast good to every
industry in this State. 1t was an exhibit
ton in search Of market for the products
which are demanded by the world, but
which are drug here. There are mill
ions Of pounds Of canned fruit in Califor-
MIA, held over from last years crop, to
which other millions are to be added by
this years crop. The vineyard interest of
the State is languishing almost to the
point of death. In all the history of viii
culture in this State, that interest has
never so nearly touched bottom as it will
during the present year. There is at least
of capital invested in the