The herald., 1894-03-03
HE CHAMBER IS ALL RIGHT,
Nhat 1t Has Done For This
Section.
detailed at Leugth at the Annual
Meeting.
President Dan Fresman's Annual Ad-
dress aud Secretary q. ID. Willard's
Report-Thsy Tell tho Story
In Fine Style.

bent d. Freeman occupied the chair,
and after reporting the election OF Off
GERS held last January, proceeded to
deliver his annual address.
"The past year" he said. "has been
disastrous one to trade and commerce
All over the United States. California
has suffered less then any other state in
the union, and Los Angeles less than
any other city in the state. Notwith-
btanding the business depression the
81 Los Angeles chamber OF commerce has
lhad most prosperous year, having
gained largely in numbere and increased
its bank account.
"The record OF the chamber during
the past year has been one in which the
hcity may Justly take pride. A large
amount OF valuable public work has
been accomplished and gratifying results
have shown themselves in the new tide
OF immigration which is now turning
in this direction.
"But while we must work to bring
more people into the country, we must
also labor to improve the condition Of
those who are here, some OF whom it
pr1st be confessed are now working
mere, h6 III ObHbT heCLlOnb VI bub Iyt
Yunder most unaatisiactory conditions.
"A The etate of affairs with regard to the
orange industry is decidedly unpromis-
Hng. | cannot believe that the cause of
the difficulty is over-production, as the
crop of '9a is not much larger than that
Sf '9I or 'J2 and there should be a nat
ural and continuous development OF the
market in the east to meet any increase
in production here. The trouble seems
to lie in two main causes.
First-The indiscriminste distribution
of the fruit in the eastern market.
Second--Excessive freight charges be-
tween here and the east.
~ "a general association OF fruit grow
ers has been established to meet the
first of these difficulties, and a large
percentage of growers have allied them
selves with this organization. The
chamber OF commerce has put itself on
record in favor of these combinations,
and there can be no doubt OF their ulti-
mate success if thoroughly practical men
hare placed in control of their affairs,
"As to the matter of freight charges,
a general appeal should go up from
every section of Southern California
for their reduction, at least during the
remainder Of the present season.
ID , "The present rate is $l.25 per 100 or
$3.50 per carload, which amounts to
~ something like $500 for every train
yhauled across the continent. 1t takes
six days to make the trip, or $500 ger
day. This is too much, and it ia GER
tainly more than the traffic can bear.
Under the most favorable circumstances
the railroad gets more than the grower
out OF the crop, aud frequently. as the
case stands, it getH two or three times ms
much. From present appearances, un-
less some action is taken by the roads
very soon, good part Of the present
crop will not be carried at all.
"Ih this connection let me say that
believe there is u great undeveloped field
for manufacture in this country in the
by-products OF the orange and in orange
marmalade. Two million dollars' worth
OF orange marmalade is manufactured
annually in the city OF Dundee, Scot
v1and, from oranges brought there from
Italy. Some of the hotels in Los Angeles
serve this Dundee marmalade--a tray
esty on our American enterplisel
THE commerce OF this section de-
mands the improvement of some harbor
on the Pacific in the vicinity OF Los
Angeles. San Pedro has been selected
by the engineers of the government for
such improvement, and a strong effort
has been made to secure an appropria-
tion for that place, but without success.
= AT the same time it is gratifying to no.
81 tice tie work accomplished BY corpora
tion enterprise at Redondo and Santa
~ Monica. The wharf of the Southern
Pacific at the latter place is a magnif-
cent denomination of the confidence
which that foresighted corporation has
E in Southern California.
'The chamber has reason FOR salts
faction in calling attention to the re-
suits of the act Of congress of March 81,
1898. which created the Los Ange les
customs district from the old Whining
( ton district and made Los Angeles a
port of entry and gave it the privileges
OF what is known as Immediate Trans
4 portation act," by which our mer-
chants are enabled to import direct
from foreign countries to Los Angeles.
u The privilege thus obtained has re-
/ Aaplted in large direct importation bus-
hess, amounting in 1898 to about $780,
000, aa against about $40 900 the preced-
ing year in customs duties and in asso-
-ciatiEg the name OF our city in q very
respectable degree with foreign and
maritime trade. The chamber of COM
merce secured the pasnage of this act
through congress, the original suggest
ion OF which WAS made in an address by
Col. III. H. Osborne at meeting Of the
chamber two years ago.
"a matter of vital Importance to the
Pacific coast is the immediate compile
tion OF the Nicaragua canal. The con-
struction OF this great waterway will
revolutionize the commerce OF this Sec
~ tion.
"The construction OF railway con-
Meeting this city and Salt Lake is an
other project which calls for the hearth
est support of all the people of this sec-
tions Such road means cheap coal
and an accompanying activity in manu-
featuring enterprises, and it means the
opening OF new field for the distribu-
tion of our products.
THE development OF the irrigabIe
lands of the southwest by the general
government was demanded by the irri-
CATION congress held in this city last
October, and ii such work could be
undertaken it would help to bring pros
perity to this section.
There is no subject before the people
OF this state that is more important
than that OF good roads. The city Of
Los Angeles has grown within recent
years to such .eize that it affords
market for much Of the produes of the