The morning call., 1893-01-26
NO YOKE WANTED.
Eastern Competition to Be
Driven Out.
PLANS NOW BEING LAID.
The Manufacturers Association De-
termined to Recreate Home Mar
ket for California Goods.

A very important meeting of the CalfOr-
MIA Manufacturers Association was held
Monday afternoon.
The association has taken up the question
Of recreating a market in California for
California goods. Its shibboleth is Cali
fOrnia for CalifOrnians." At the same time
1t will endeavor 10 show that nothing is lost
in buying California goods. The Manu-
factureTs' Association has had this subject
under discussion for some time. but only
recently has it formulated distinct plan of
campaign.
1t is about TO begin a great fight for the
pros Gritty Of the State, and is arming itself
for the fray.
The subject has created the greatest en-
thusiasm among the members, and they will
not go to the wall easily.
The proceedings of the Manufacturers
Association are conducted with great Sc
crecy and in executive session.
George c. Williams, the secretary Of the
ASSOCIATION. after the meeting furnished a
CALL reporter with considerable informa-
ton on the situation of affairs and the plans
Of the organization. He gave a resume Of
the causes leading up to the present awak-
euing and showed how California manufac-
turers had at last determined to throw of
the domination of Eastern competition.
OF course. Mr.. Williams could not go into
minute details of the associations plans.
bat hesaid enough to let one see which way
the wind Is blowing.
At the next meeting OF the association he
said more definite steps would be taken.
"A number of years ago." said Mr.. VIII
liams, the California manufacturers all
made money. They tlOurIshed under GER
tain artificial advantage. In the first place
the railroads in thuse days gave them dis
eliminating freight rates so that they could
get what raw material they needed from
the East and make IL up here cheaper for
the market than the Eastern manufacturer,
who had to pay freight on the finished ar
ticle across the continent. On the advent
of the Transc0ntinental Association, which
began a new regulation Of freights and
fares, this advantage OF the California man
ufactureTs WAS wiped out.
In some cases now, notably in the furni-
ture business, where nearly all the raw ma
terial is brought from the East. il costs 500
a car more 10 bring out the raw material To
this State than the rate on a carload Of
finished material here. OfcOurse furniture
manufacturers could not live under this
state OF things
Again, the railroad used to make San
Francisco a distributing point; that is. it
would bring freight from the East to San
the interior at about as cheap a rate as you
could ship it from the East to that interior
point The shipment from San Francisco
10 the interior practically cost nothing.
This made San Francisco a distributing
point.
But the Iransc0ntinental Association
changed all this. You can now ship goods
from Chicago or New York to any interior
point at about the same rate that you can
shlp the goods from San Francisco 10 that
interior point What a reversal of cOndi-
tionsl This at once operated against the
San Francisco manufacturer.
Another thing that gave the San Fran
cisco manufacturer an artificial advantag
was the employment of Chinese cheap
labor. lie was enabled 20 employ Chinese
In the unskiled departments at cheap rates
and EN- ploy the best skilled white labor at
the highest wages. and yet have his average
payroll about the same as the average pay
roll of the manufacturer in the East. The
Eastern manufacturer was noG in 1t with
this state of affairs. and the real competition
oil the San Francisco manufacturers was
with each other.
There is 10 denying the fact that these
artificial advantages got the san Franc SEQ
manufacturer and wholesale dealer into
bad habits - bad for himself and worse
for trade and commerce. He was accus-
toned 10 receiving high prices for his goods
and was accustomed TO fighting against
bimself-San Francisco against San Fran
cisco. Tie consequence was that when the
artificial advantages were lost he found
himself in very bad shape to make any sort
OF fight against any competition that
poured In on him from the East. Not only
did he have 10 face Eastern competition,
but al the same time that which SDrang up
in his own cOuntry-a universal cry against
Chinese cheap labor and sort Of a boycott
against every manufacturer using II. There
is no denying this fact at this day. SO far
did this go that in many cases the con-
sumner, IN order 10 be safe, refused 10 buy
from San Francisco manufacturers alto
gether aud obtained their goods from the
East
1t is an astonishing fact that there Is less
day than was employed in the days Of
Chinese cheap labor. OF course the only
cause was tue decay of the manufacturing
interests. | can prove this from the inves-
legations have made in the different trades,
the cigar wcOlen goods, boots and shoes.
tanning, shirt and other interests The
number OF skilled mechanics can be easily
proven to be much less than when manu-
featuring fourshed on this coast
$50 the San Francisco manufacturer
found himself at a disadvantage when sud
denly confronted with Il flood OF Eastern
competition. His Disadvantages were the
charging Of high prices. the lack of under
standing how 10 rustic for custom. the fail
ur5 TO adopt measures to attract custom,
the TACT that he was fighting among his own
kind, and finally the lack of harmony and
organization 10 meet the invading foe of
Eastern competition.
$50 1t IS perfectly true that a few years
ago the San Francisco manufacturer was
not in condition to compete with the East.
The Eastern manufacturer was not slow to
see this and poured into the State an invad-
Ing army Of drummers who raised the cry
that San Francisco could not compete with
the East. At that time this was largely
true.
THE Eastern drummer kept this cry up so
long that be educated the retailer and con-
sumner into the belief that he could do better
by buying from the East, and this habit of
thought so generated and once based on
truth still continues, although the fact is
now otherwise.
Mind you | say the fact Is now other
wise, for | don't believe that there is any
community IN the United States which has
had so rapid change in its commercial
and business interests as San Francisco
has had in the last few years. People who
say that San Francisco is old-f0gyish aud
behind the times have not seen the new
spirit that has awakened and will soon be
felt throughout the State. In every line Of
business there has been a Tustling of dry
bones and the describing CT old methods
and orders for new ones to an extraordinary
extent. Men in the same line of business
have stopped quarreling among them
selves aud have come together. | know
them all and speak to them and know
whereof | speak. They desire to present
solid front to their common enemy, the
East.
New ideas and methods are being discov-
cred ard tried. A feeling of community
of interest has taken the place OF the old
feeling cf internal rivalry. They no longer
seek To injure and ruin each other, but TO
assist and aid each other against the COM
mon invader. La other words. there has
grown up in place of the old feeling of In
dividual interest feeling of commercial
selishness which is simply another name
for local commercial patriotism. The cry
IS not for Sam Jones 81 Co.. or Smith 81
Brown. but for San Francisco. j regard
this new spirit as being the one and the
real hope for the future greatness of San
Francisco.
When the manufacturers began to look