Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-08
w. H. Mills Addresses the
Chamber Of Commerce.
He Emphasizes the Value of
Commercial Organizations.
A Valuable Discourse on Matters OF
Progress and Development.
The Distinguished Guest Gives an In
formal but Eloquent Expression
Of His Views.

An lntorfna reception was tenueTeu 10
Hon. W. II. Mills OF San Francisco,
president of the state board OF trade.
and manager OF the land department OF
the Southern Pacific railroad company,
at the rooms of the chamber OF COM
merce last night, by the members Of
that organization and number of
prominent citizens who responded to
the invitation.
| The room in which the reception was
held was most tastefully decorated for
the occasion with floral designs and
eyergreens by the members of the ladies'
annex, who are to be congratulated on
the result OF their labors.
Ats o'clock the distinguished guest
was escorted to the platform i'll the AS
sembly room by a committee consisting
OF Messrs. c. NJ. Wells, G. j. Griffith,
F.. German, =. M. Green and Colonel
f. Z. Hewitt, and after all the guests
had been seated, President Wells intro
duced Mr.. Mills in a brief but we'll
turned speech, and announced that
that gentleman had kindly consented. TO
deliver an informal address.
T..
here in search of health for an invalid in
his family, and also in search OF inior-
nation at the request OF the president
ofthe company he represented, again inn
pressed upon his audience the fact that
his was merely an informal talk, and rs
generalization was, as a rule, unahswer-
able, he would confine himself to it as
much as possible. He realized that he
was talking to commercial organiza-
ton. and he proposed to show it that
in great measure the future prosperity
of the country depended upon it. 1t
was the demand for anything which pre-
ceded its production, for II there was
no demand for it there was no use in
producing it. Taking raisins as an illus
tration. the speaker stated that ii the
vine growers OF Southern California
could ship their fruit month earlier
than at present they could command
the market. because the best prices were
paid for the first raisins in the market.
Southern California raisins were, how
ever. rapidly gaining in popularity,
because of their quality; and their repu-
tation, once established, would always
be maintained. The fact that $4,000,
600 were invested in vines and wine
cellars in this state, was sufficient To
show the extent of this industry. In
1885, the Southern Pacific company
shipped only 500 pounds or ralsins, AL
of which were raised by one uan. Last
year, 1890. the same company shipped
u, 900, 900 pounds, and the other roads
5000, 900, making Il total OF 81 600 0uU
pounds.
At this point Mr.. Mills took ocnasilc
to speak of the marvellous fnlprUve-
nlents he had noticed In this section OF
tire country, which he designated
Oriental California, since his Ias5
visit here, made five years ago. He
spoke at some length of it's climatic and
industrial conditions, and dweIt upon
the TACT that Los Angeles, az its most
central point, was bound to be its prin-
cipal market. He again digressed to
speak OF the Farmers Alliance, which
he said was formidable movement,
working under the very foundations OF
society like blind Samson. 1t had
arisen out OF statistical facts. One OF
these was that the profits accruing from
the sales OF the produce raised by the
farmers in the eastern states, after their
families had been provided for and all
expenses paid, averaged only $500 per
annum for each farm.
To return to the raisins, the 80, ,OOO. 900
pounds shipped from this state last year
were valued at $4,00O,00O, which was
equal to the net output OF 100000
farms in the east.
Now, the great problem for the local
chamber OF commerce to solve was the
science OF distribution, which was es-
sentially the realm Of the merchant. 1t
was impossible for the orange and raisin
growers to find market for their pro-
duce. That was the province of the
merchant. Therefore the first depart
ment of the work of the chamber OF
commerce was to find market for
everything produced here. The speaker
then dwelt upon the large increase in
the population OF this section OF late,
and impressed upon his auditors the
fact that unless wealth keeps pace with
population, impoverishment must en-
sue He then reviewed tile history OF
the state briefly in order to show that
its products were largely the result OF
accident. He then touched upon the
growth of the orange and raisin indus
tries during the past seventeen years,
and ridiculed the theory advanced by
Mr.. West. of the viticultural commits
sion, that the limit OF over production
had been reached, as that OF man who
had no mental perspective, because
every product that is marketable makes
its way by pushing itself into the mar
ket, hence more will be consumed as it
becomes cheaper.
Referring again to the chamber OF
commerce, Mr.. Mills said that it be-
ho we'd that organization to see what can
be done in the way OF building up a
large city, as one was needed down
here. He suggested that it be made an
educational center, such as Edinburgh
in Scotland, which had over 1000 stu
dents, upon whom at least 1000 persons
were dependent every year. The future
OF Los Angeles will depend upon the be-
lief OF others in its future.
Again the speaker suggested that met
allurgical works be built here as In Den
yer and Omaha. At present nearly all
the refractory ores of this country have
to be sent to Swansea, and as your
mountains are full OF metalliferous rock
there ought to be reduction works right
here. Los Angeles could easily be the
metal capital OF country infinitely
more valuable than that round either
Denver or Omaha.
Another important feature is the es
tablishment OF harbor, which should
be as near Los Angeles as possible. Mr..
Mills then explained how transporta-
ton rates were controlled by water
communication, and after briefly touch