The morning call., 1891-05-19
A ooNGREssMAN.s OBSERVATIONS.

Congressman William L.Wilson has taken
a trip around the bay, and has ar
rived at the conclusion that "this great
city has advantages of situation for
foreign trade which not even the me-
chanical skill OF engineers, backed by
the Treasury of the United States, could Sc
cure to more than one or two other cities in
the country, if, indeed, in any," Mr.. VIII
sons observations are so far correct that
his conclusions will be read with interest.
Without going into details he assumes that
the best way to use this harbOr is to engage
in foreign commerce. a city with a superior
harbor is naturally made the channel of
whatever foreign trade may be brought
within its range. But the magnitude of
foreign trade must be determined by the ne
eeSsities of the people within its range of
supply. Goods will not be brought to a city
nor sent from city merely to utilize its
harbOr. There are many articles of COM
mon use that California may either produce
or import. Which will be better for the
State in the long run? For example, if we
can produce beet sugar at trife more than
the cost Of Importation, is ii better to pro-
duce or to import2 1t will be admitted that
there are articles which are not within our
natural range Of production. We may in
the distant future produce tea, but at pres
ent labor is too high TO make the cultivation
of that article profitable. While tits possible
that the cotfee-berry may be cultivated in this
State, there are other crops which at present
promise better results. So long * labor is
paid as well as it is at present raw silk will
be imported. Lea az, a. out some such arti-
C ieS gs.sl we cannot produce in competition
W it'll other countries, it is possible TO design
a policy to promote home production Of
general manufactures or to devote ourselves
to the building up of a foreign trade a
good harbOr will not in itself make foreign
trade profitable. The condition which
creates wealth the most rapidly is the
general employment of the people. This,
it has been demonstrated, is best done
by the establishment of varied industries.
a community which can offer to each men,
Der of a workable age and condition reason
ably steady employment ana fair wages will
grow rich more rapidly than one which relies
upon any single branch of industry, how
ever favorable its conditions for that pur-
suit. California has made considerable ef-
fort TO attract immigrants, but IL has not
been prepared to give the masses of lmml-
grants work when they arrive here. II we
had kept within our State nearly all the
people who have come with a purpose to
stay if they could find work we would have
twice the population we now have. People
with small means are constantly returning
East because they have not the capital TO
carry them through the n0n-productiye
period OF a fruit orchard. Eastern cities
with fewer general advantages draw immi-
grants because they have the established in
duStrIes which afford employment In time
California will establish these industries.
The protective policy viii promote their
growth, while free trade will kill what we
have. Is it better for us to continue a
policy which will build up manufactures or
to devote ourselves to the production of
grain and fruit for export in exchange for
goods of general manufacture?