The morning call., 1893-12-20
PUT UP THE COIN.
Funds for the Navigation
Company.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING.
merchants and Capitalists Work
Together.
COMPETITION IS A SUCCESS.
What the North American Naviga-
tion Company Has Accom-
plished in Eight Months.
COMPETITION is A SUCCESS.

portapt question. 1t was whether thew
would stand by the North American Nayi
cation Company, and the way In which the
answer was given and the evident enthusi-
asm that accompanied the reply showed
that the taste of freedom from oppressive
rates Of transportation which the mer-
chants ard shippers of the State have had
will only increase the demand for larger
liberty along the same line.
BY invitation of the Traffic Association.
the members OF the Board of Trade,
Chambe of Commerce. League of Prog
Tess and all other commercial bodies of the
city met at the rooms of the Chamber of
Commerce TO hear a statement of the con-
dltlOu OF the North American Navigation
Company and 10 take immediate steps
toward the raising of funds to keep the
company on its feet and insure the carry
Ing on OF its work.
When the North American Navigation
.CoDp2ny was organized about a year ago
the Panama Railway required that $500 600
should be placed in bank to insure the
carrying out OF the contract made by the
,NaHI gauon Company. This amount was
raised. but ii has now been used III meet
&. ing the expenses of the company, and
there remains Yet four months IF the life
Of the contract and the Navigation Com
psny has not the funds TO meet its part of
the contract
The matter was laid before the Traffic
Association some time ago, and a commit
tee WAS al once set &c work to raise the
neGessa!y 100000 to keep the vessels 60
Ing and Insure freight being delivered in
San Francisco at living rates. The COM
mittee went to work, but its efforts have
: uotMet with the success they merit and
;: the members of the committee. consisting
Of =AlyinZa Hayward, Daniel Meyer and
ThDmas Magee had succeeded in raising
:: :but=S3g000 before the meeting was called
yesteTday.
J.. " ben Barry Bald win called the meeting
TO order the Chamber Of Commerce room
was hiled with the most prominent busi-
ness men Of San Francisco. and Isaac Up
man was at once nominated for chairman,
and he stated the situation in few fOrci-
bic remarks, giving some figures 10 sup
port MS assertions In regard to the work
OF The navigation company.
"Ihe merchants of San Francisco are to-
day called upon to decide the future career
of the North American Navigation Com
.paRy," said he, land you are asked to
raise a sun OF money 10 carry on that en-
.terprise, which is absolutely contemptibls
when compared with what has been saved
- to the people Of the State and to you
directly.
"1bls company has been saving to the
Shippers of this State in freight rates
600 q month, or about SIS, 900
ye3I, and you are asked 20 subscribe a
palfy 100000 10 carry Oh this work of
economy. You who are shippers have
!, oeen saved directly more than the amount
yea. originally subscribed. and every iudi-
viduai al the State, whether merchant
or not has had money put in his pocket by
the competition in freight rates which has
been brought about by the lins Of steamers
to Panama.
But aside from this phase of the ques
~ n n is q taE Wo
are parties to a contract and if we fail in
our part 1t will go out to the world that for
500. 600 the merchants of San Francisco
again allowed themselves TO be made the
slaYes Of corporation and went down on
a contract which not only their honor but
their interests demanded should be full
filed"
Jules Cert and Thomas Magee each
made a strong plea for the navigation
company, pointing out the advantages that
were accruing not only tn the merchants of
the city, but to every possible investment
of capital, which was now. for the first
time in many years, enjoying immunity
from the oppression Of a corporation W hch
bad retarded the growth and deve iopment
OF the State more than anything else and
lad kept san Francisco twenty-five years
behind the point she ought to have at
taned and had prevented California
from being a State with 100000 in
hahitants.
". Il. Hecht, q director in the North
American Navigation Company, aroused a
good deal OF enthusiasm in his address,
and he placed the issue squarely before
the meeting. The contract has been
made" said he. land it has four months
yet TO run, and means 100000. And this
money must be paid " hether We run the
vessels or not. 1t must be paid even if
the boats are moOred 70 the wharf, for the
honor Of San Francisco is pledged, and the
money must be paid.
But the North American Navigation
Company has brought the grandest oppor-
:tunity to the State that has been offered in
fifteen years. By it it has been possible
to bring the products of Central America
and Mexico to this port and ship them to
the Atlantic seaboard cheaper than they
could be taken by PaDama. This is new
business. On account Of the consequent
reduction in rates overland it has been pos
sible TO market the products Of California
in Eastern and foreign ports which we
never commanded before. This is new
business.
And we are just now getting in posi-
tion where we can be Independent. God
helps those who h2lp themselves and he
. did not spread out tsis magnificent ocean
here a. our gates to be controlled by any
G. single corporation. If we could ship
freight by rail for absolutely nothing [
would still favor keeping up the line of
steamers, and this would prevent the DOS
slbillty OF our ever being again chained
and made the willing captive OF him who
p.eases TO oppress US.
"Bat the navigation company is now at
the point where it must have assistance or
it must fail. You ask what has become of
the $500 900 formerly subscribed and / tell
you ii has been honestly expended, while
you have been repaid thousand-fold.
But you must know that we do not make
our own schedule. Every rate Is made for
us; and we lake only what is given. SO the
amount previously subscribed has been
used and this additional amount must be
raised, and the directors of the NaViga-
ti0p Company have resolved that unless
you come to our aid we must discontinue
business, for we will not face the future.
Knowing that We are in solvent"
F." Chairman Uph IN then announced that
$4,000 had previously been raised. and
that subscriptions were in order. and the
ball was started with $4,000 from Alviuza
:. HAYWARD. Mrs. Peter Donabue had au-
thorized $1,000 subscription fer herself.
and: Thomas Magee announced that an
.eststp. the name of which ne wa not at
liberty to mention. would give another
$4,000 Subscriptions came thick and fast,
.and:fn few minutes the following was