The record-union., 1895-09-11
YORKSHIRE HANDICAP.
sAORAMFNTo,S GREAT POWER.
The Prosperity of the state Assured
By Ii.
From the San Francisco Chronicle

From the San Francisco Chronicle.J
Monday the Capital City will cele-
brats the most important event in the
industrial history Of California.
1t Is Important because it means an in
dustrial revolution. Heretofore Cali
fornia has been producer of raw
materials and purchaser of manu-
factured products. Fuel with which to
produce steam has been higher here
than In any other part OF the United
States. So costly has been steam power
that the price las prohibited its use ex-
cept Ia bulky goods, the long haul and
high freight of which has. to large ex-
tent, prevented their transportation here.
In many branches of manufacture Cali
fornla has been handicapped out of the
race.
In 1894, by sea, we imported SIS, 900, 00C
worth OF goods, largely manufactured.
In the same year the railways brought
into the State 100000 Tors, or 800 900, ,OOC
pounds OF goods. mostly III manutac-
lured state. They were silks, satins,
lawns, muslins, millinery, boots, Shoes
hats, gloves, nigh-grade cloths and cloth
ing. and other hign-priced stuffs.
1t is conservative estimate that fo1
these 250, 0G0 IONS OF manufactured goods
we paid between $50. .000.00 and S4U, coo, 900.
We Imported 1873, 100 tons of coal for
which We paid s., $40, I50.
1t IS The history OF the world that any
country that sells material in the raw
state and buys it back in its manutac-
tured state becomes poor. 1t is estimated
that the price of raw material Is To the
price OF the manufactured article as one
TO five. We therefore have been selling
at 81 and been buying back at So, with
long, costly freights added We have
been forced TO this by the handicap OF
high-priced fuel.
The celebration of the installation of
electricity at Sacramento tomorrow
marks the end of the high-priced fuel
era, and the dawn of the day of the cheap
est creative force ever known. There is
in California steam machinery aggregat-
ing 10000 horsepower. With The pres
ent prices for fuel 1t costs annually SI4, =
400. 200 to run that machinery. With cleo
tricity the cost Will be less than one
fourth OF that sum.
AT Buffalo electricity is being brought
from Niagara Falls, twenty-three miles
away, and is uuderselling steam-power
made from coal at 81 80 per ton. We see
Lowell, Mass, with more than 100000
people; with vast wealth; with her fin
ished products known wherever sails
whiten the seas, ell OF which has been
created by the utilization of machinery
aggregatlng 1000 horsepower. The in
StalIation which Will be celebrated to-
morrow al sacramento is $500 horse
power, with possibility of $1,000 horse
power. or more than twice the creative
force which has made Lowell one OF the
busiest OF human hives.
Another water power from the Yuba
River is being utilized for generating
electricity, and the wires for electrical
transmission have been strung almost 10
Sacramento. 1t is estimated that the
4uba Company has possible capacity of
10000 horsepower. In other words, Sac
raineuto has now at her command four
times the creative force of Lowell, Mass
The question which presents itself TO
Sacramento citizens, and to every person
III California. ls now shall this great crea-
tive force be utilized? Upon the solution
of that question depends the future of
California. If the answer is favorable we
shall make from our own and the raw
materials OF other countries nearly all
the finished products which we now
buy. Ii the answer is uniavorable we
shall continue to be Impoverished pro-
duoers OF raw materials, and constantly
growing poorer. Our capitalists and
other public men must decide whether
we shall buy ourselves poor or sell our
selves rich.
We sent 100000 pounds of wool to
the East last year aud bought 1t back in
the form OF cloths and clothing. Shall
we make that cloth ana clothing here?
We buy great quantities of linen goods.
We can grow ali the flax ii Der for our own
use and for millions of other people.
Shall we grow the fiber and make the
fabrics?
We buy trainloads and cargoes of cotton
goods. We can buy the cotton from Texas
and bring it lore as cheaply as Lowell
can buy it and deliver it there.
The money paid out annually for silks
and satlns would lit the mortgages from
thousands of our homes. New Jersey
buys the cheap raw silks from China and
Japan, ships it right by our doors and
5000 miles beyond and manufactures it
into costly stuffs. and ships il 5000 miles
back to us, and we pay the high prices in
our hard-earned money. We can buy tho
raw silk and have it delivered here more
cheaply than New Jersey can.
We ship trainloads of hides and skins
tc Lynn and buy them back in boots,