The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-21
INTERESTING PAPERS READ BY
PROMINENT MERCHANTS
AND OTHERS.
TRADE IS TO BE REVIVED
A CONSTITUTION WHICH WILL
BE PASSED On To-Day.
A BAY TRIP.

..
1t was as follows:
WHEREAS, The Trustees of the CITY OF sacra-
mento are considering a proposition for the
erection OF pumping machinery; and whereas
the question OF Eastern competition is likely
TO be an important factor in the decision to De
reached; now, therefore, it is
ResoLued That this convention urge upon
selo trustees the importance, all things being
equal, OF awarding the contract TO California
manufacturers, thereby keeping the money at
home and contributing to the common good
An exception was taken to one clause in
the resolution by NJ. McGlynn and An
drew Furuseth. who are two representa-
tives OF the Labor Council.
Mr.. Furuseth objected to the phrase "all
things being equal" He did not think
Californians in a matter of home products
should consider the cost. 1t was the
mutual benefit 10 the community which
should be considered.
An amendment was offered by McGlynn
to strike out the clause ''all things being
equal" but it was lost, and the original
resolution was carried.
Senator Perkins was then introduced
and spoke of what Congress had done for
local manufactur ers. He said:
1t is part of my political and religious creed
TO do all We can for those at our homes before
we go abroad on foreign missionary efforts.
up the Iaboring man and the mechanic. We
must patroniZe our own manufactures. If we
had patronlZed our Woolen-mills we should
nave done they would not have been closed
and our wool product sent East to be manu-
factured.
We know little as yet of the wonderful posi-
olhues OF electricity in giving US power and
am satisfied that the great Pacific viii yet be
harnessed TO give US the wave motor that will
serve US with cheap electrical power We must
not SIT llstlessly, but must be active and awake
10 our opportunities.
In conclusion the Senator said:
Times look little hard, but we'll come out
all right. There is no faiTer land in the world
than California, and her people are reaching
out on all sides. RebelliOus ores are now being
treated here as well as at Swansea or Frankfort,
ana the protector of this enterprise helps ali
the State So each OF YOU may help yourselves
and the community by being ALWAYS loyal to
our nation and to our great State.
The next speaker was I. E. Moore, who
spoke OF the depression of industries on
TINS coast. Mr.. Moore said:
1 have no words of abuse for our great and
good friend who has paramount authority
here, who sits IN New York with his finger on
the great arteries OF our State and regulates
the life-blood of all our industries And 7 have
no anathemas TO cast ct the other great prophet
who sits in Washington and deals the pabulurn
o. reform taTiT TO the suffering manufacturers
No, think nothing but the terrible object
lesson OF the army OF tramps and the silent
factories all over the land would have aroused
the people TO understand the need of protec-
non, ana That the policy of this Govern
ment must not be dictated from London
but in America for Americans. And /
think We. In California, without the sad ex-
peTience OF railroad monopoly and oppression,
would never have set to work to free ourselves
from bondage OF corrupt politics and extortion
In business and begun 10 develop our own re-
sources. Necessity is the mother of invention.
Now that are face TO face with the ruin OF
our business we can stop and ask, What are we
10 do?
Following Mr.. Moore Paul B. Perkins
read an interesting paper on the Duties
of the California Manufacturers. He
said:
The duties of the manufacturers of California
are 10 harmonic their different interests into
an organization for self-prOtection and future
benefits; determine upon their lines of manu-
facture, which should incline, as far as DOS
s1ble, 10 specialties. Give great attention to
economical methods and the most efficient
equipment with which TO manufacture In
vestigate and find the wants of the people and
then manufacture and place upon the markets
OF this coast the articles at prices which will
meet the market from Eastern or foreign man
ufactuTers.
Strive to impress upon the people that by
purchasing home productions they are mutu-
ally benefting themselves. the fnanufactl1r-
ers and the general industries of the State
that money so placed in circulation continues
on and on 10 the upbuilding OF all industries
Money exported in payment for goods i'm
ported is, far, disastrous to our industries in
which all must share. This means that our
labor is unemployed and that Eastern and
foreign manufactures can give employment to
their labor while our resident labor walks the
streets in idleness.
1t is my belief that the people will pay little,
yet do predict this movement of the manu-
fecturers will be encouraged by very large
majority of the people OF this State
A paper was then read by James O'Learv
on the subject of what Statistics Show
He said;
a good deal has been said OF depression and
OF a reduction in the values of goods manufac-
tured III the city and State. This of course
has partly arisen from the general financial
depression that has been everywhere felt
resulting in lower prices and in economies in
the home. / estimate that ON the whole this
has reduced the value of California industries
10 per cent from what it was in the census
year. OF course there are instances where such
has not been the case. A few years since we
imported from foreign countries nearly sc, 900
tons OF scrap, in addition to q great deal of mig
iron, but in 1894 not pound of scrap was
entered at the Custom-house, and we did not
obtain it from other sources either. In the
same way there has been heavy falling off in
the imports OF ingot steel.
For fiour, we have lost one of our best markets
Great Britain, where we used to send about 300
900 barrels yearly The value of the lumber in
dustries OF the State has shrunk 25 per cent
the quantity of redwood sent to market drop
ping from 20S, 984 ,305 feet in 1898 TO 1871
544 ,0S0 feet in 1894. Our cigar industry few
years ago showed over Isl 900. 900 cigars made
in the First Internal Revenue District OF this
State-th1s year the NUMBER Will not exceed
68, 600, 900.
1t is 10 change the direction of the current
here noted that the representatives OF industry
throughout the State have been called together
10 create public feeling in favor of home in
dustry, and to give employment and prosper
ity TO our people.
L. ]. Norton of Napa spoke regarding
"GIove Leather" He said that there were
$3.50 600 invested in the industry in this
State, and that the products compared
favorably with those of the Eastern States.
The next speaker was F. w. Dohrmann.
His subject was "Home Manufactures from
a Retailers Standpoint" He said:
1t is a matter of course that retailers, like
are in business not for mere
pastime, but to make money, and when it is
shown TO be 10 their interest TO sell certain
articles they will surely do it, and take IL for
granted that every merchant who is not igno-
rant or narrow-minded understands the gen.
eral advantages of home manufacture, and |
Also that to sell home products requires less |
profit and less loss by oveT-stock and deprec1a- |
ton, and that therefore he can afford to sell |
goods manufactured at home at much smaller |
advance thanif he had to import and carry in |
stock the same class of goods. That the manu- /
iacturer and consumer understand that the |
dealer also must make profit goes without |
saving, and il seems that selfinterest on all |