The herald., 1893-11-30
THE RIFT IN THE Lutte.
THE MERCHANTS AND THE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE..
A Joint Meeting on the Midwinter Fair
which Did Not Matsrialize.
President Freeman's Letter
of Explanation.

AQ intChooo 1ottb ttNe-e - 49,
Merchants association and the chamber
Of commerce failed to materialize yes
terday afternoon. The purpose OF the
meeting was to have discussed the pro-
ject OF erecting q $50,OO0 building In
Los Angeles for the purpose OF main
tanning permanent exhibit.
For some reason the association broke
OF correspondence and did not meet
with the chamber, the meeting being
summarily adjourned.
When Mr.. T. d. Stimson called the
meeting to order at O'Clock it was OBJ
served that there were very few if any
members of the association present.
The reason, however, soon asserted 1T
self. The secretary, Mr.. Willard. then
read the following lengthy communica-
tion from Mr.. Dan Freeman.
Los ANGELES, Cal, Nov. 20, 1898.
To the joint committee of merchants, mid
winter fair directors and directors OF The
chamber OF commerce.
GENTLEMEN: 1t will be impossible
for me to attend your meeting this al
ternoon, ae have important business
to attend to out of the city. Several
gentlemen who have spoken to me
within the last few days had the er-
roneous impression that am opposed
to citrus fair in Los Angeles during
the coming winter. As others doubtless
entertained the same views, | have
thought it advisable to explain my
position to your committee.
am not opposed to citrus or floral
fair in this city, but will do all can to
assist such an enterprise. But l con-
slider the midwinter fair as of para
mount Importance, and L think that
we should all work together until a
fine building and magnificent exhibit
OF our unparalleled resources are secured
for the fair. There will be many
thousand people at the midwinter fair
who know but little about Southern
California. and If these people see 70
display of our products, or poor dis
play from this section of the state, they
will naturally infer that this is the
poorest part of California, and
they will think that it is not
worth while to visit US. If they are
looking for land they will surely go to
those sections of the state making the
best exhibits. II we wish to aid San
Frareisco and the northern part of the
state, to our own detriment, wa cannot
do no in any better way than byrefusing
to show the visitors to the lnidwinter
fair what we can produce in Los Angeles
county. If Los Angeles county is not
represented. and we'll represented, at
San Francisco, the displays of their pro-
ducts by the fruit growers of the north
ern part of the state will have the effect
of turning the tide OF immigration that
10 now coming here to that portion of
California, and millions of dollars that
would come here if we did OUT duty will
be diverted to the counties north of
San Francisco. think it safe to say
that non participation by Los Angeles in
the midwinter fair would result ia a loss
to this county of $4,000, ,00D within the
next five years, and give us set back
from which we would not soon recover.
One thing is certain, more strangers
will come to Los Angeles if Los Angeles
makes q good showing at the midwinter
fair than if we make NO exhibit, but
confne ourselves to local fair here.
The stranger will say: eff the people
of Los Angeles dare not compete with
the other counties OF the state they have
not much to show, and it will be
natural inference for a stranger to
make.
Therefore l say: Let us have both
fairs if we can raise the money let us
make display at San Francisco that
will induce every man who sees it to
come here and see the country that pro-
duces it. Sincerely yours,
d. FREEMAN.
Mr.. Jevne asked whether any COM
munication from the merchan1s' ex-
change had been received.
Mr.. Willard replied that it had been
received but had been withdrawn, as
they had decided not to meet Today.
Mr.. Jevne stated that at a meeting
held by the merchants association the
previous evening they thought that the
call had been issued upon the strength
OF personal letter from one of its mem
bers which was not the voice of the ma
jority. He thought that the association
was quite ready to meet with the cham
ber.
Mr.. Fred L. Allies then arose and
stated that inasmuch as the meeting
was joint one, and the association was
not represented, ne moved that they
adjourn, which was done.
Mr.. Willard stated that he thought
the absence of representatives of the
association was due to misunderstand-
ing, and furthermore that they were not
in favor OF the $4,000 building at pree-
ent.