The morning call., 1895-02-25

done. We don't want San Francisco to 90
back to the days when we had no factories
at all and simply exported and imported
As understand it this call for a conven-
ton is for the purpose of trying to find
some remedy for the present depression in
manufacturing. 1t is a fact that we have
IN this city less mechanics almost by two
or three thousand than we had two or
three years ago. The foundries are COM
paratiyely idle, the wooden mills shut
down and the nail works, too. In many
lines where things were lively a few years
ago all is now stagnation.
"Of course we know that the great cut in
freight rates such as to 30 cents hundred
on nails has done much to prevent manu-
featuring here in competition with the
East where they have SO much better ia
cilities.
fThe importance OF manufacturing to
the welfare of the State is not in the
amount of business done simply. An i'm
porter can do great deal of business with
very few men, while a manufacturer
would have to employ great many men
do business of $3.50, 900 with two or three
clerks and one or two porters, while a
manufacturer in turning out that much
would employ 300 or 400 men and that
would mean the support of about 1900
souls in comfort. 1t has been stated, and
| think it is within the mark, that in San
Francisco and Oakland 1000 or 5000 men.
who used to be employed are now out of
employment, and as most of them were
skilled laborers most of them have left the
State carrying with them what wealth
they had accumulated and the power they
had to add to the wealth of this State.
"a concern giving employment to a
large number of men ought to have privi-
leges in return. Taxes should be light: no
taxes should be required for the privilege
of manufacturing; water used by him
should not cost over half what is CHARGED
to families; charges on the importation of
raw material should be at minimum.
lone great difficulty here is that people
don't recognize the great advantage of
keeping all our people occupied. An in
dustrious community is always a moral
community.
"ln the early history of Chicago it is
shown how carefully they there nurtured
all infant industries. There was an under
standing among iobbers to buy and sell
goods manufactured by Chicago manufac-
turers, to the exclusion of all others. But
they don't do that here
eve hope to gather a meeting of all
those interested and organize State AS
ISOLATION on broad basis. The great diff
Guilty is as to what we should do. We must
recognize that we can't bring back the
old condition of affairs. There should be
puDiIC sentiment produced In favor of
patronizing local manufactures With the
new life infused by the now assured con-
structlon of the new railroad we ought to
STIR up little State patriotism. Then we
should try to make this coast self-support-
ing and self contained in case of trouble
and lest we should be cut off from Eastern
supplies.
~ think that the movement the CALL
has originated to bring the national con-
ventlons here will do great deal of good
in this same direction"
Colonel NJ. III. H echt, president OF Buck
lngham d Hecht, said: you can count
me right in on that proposition to stir up
the manufacturing industry The ONLY
salvation for California is the establish
ment OF large industries with the patron
age OF the people of the coast which has
hitherto been denied to those we have had
The great trouble is that the people have
not been loyal enough to themselves.
instead OF encouraging home industries
they have sent the proceeds of all their
labor East almost to dollar.
Some years ago the outlook for
manufacturing looked promising, but the
people did not see that every dollar spent
by them Tor home industries would come
back to them many times over, and the
Eastern solicitors have been successful in
taking away nearly all the business In
proof of this you will find that there is NOT
a store on the Pacific coast to-day where
per cent of Eastern goods. Our facilities
1or manufacturing everything are as good
as those anywhere else in the United