The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-13
William H. Mills Now Comes
to the Front in Its
Defense.
WHAT IT HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
He Believes That 1t Is a Great Factor
in Advancing the Prosperity of
the State.

OF privilege
The CITY OF Philadelphia maintains a COM
mercial museum, in which j. exhibited all the
objects OF culture, all articles of manufacture
and ell the native or raw material from which
manufactured forms are made. Philadelphia
claims TO be a commercial emporium. Its peo-
pie are evidently aware OF the TACT that elites
exist by reason Of the commerce generated by
the industrial activity in the territory tribu-
tsry to them.
Recently the manager OF the commercial
museum OF Philadelphia applied TO J. a.
Filcher who is now in charge OF the State
Board OF Trades exhibit at Atlanta, Tor contri-
buttons 10 his commercial museum. The mat
ter was presented III Il communication from
Mr.. Filcher at the last meeting OF the board.
and instructions were given 10 furnish this
Philadelphia museum with everything in the
WAY of duplicates and to supply it TO any ex-
tent that would not impoyerish the exhibit at
Atlanta.
Philadelphia was not only willing to pro-
mote the growth OF California by making en-
exhibit OF its products without cost to the
State but has established and maintsined q
museum for the exhibition OF all OF the articles
which are subject OF commercial Transaction
There Is d grandeur OF breadth IN this cOnCep-
ton commensurate with the claim OF the city
OF Philadelphia to be great emporium OF
The existence of this great museum of COM
merce WGS the genesis OF the suggestion that
such q museum should be maintained IN san
Francisco upon the theory that san Francisco
j the commercial metropolis Of all the terri
tory lying west OF the Rocky Mountains and
sustains c0nmerciGl relations with Alaska and
the Hawaiian and other Pacific islands.
As already asserted, cities are the effect OF
which the industrial activities IN the coun-
tries naturally tributary 10 them are the cause.
The territory within the United states nat
uraiiy tributary 10 san Francisco embraces
about 10UO, 600 square miles. The group OF
States and Territories comprises Idaho, Mon
WASHINGTON Oregon Utah Nevada
IONA and California. OF these California is the
central State. II is by far the richest, both in
the wealth it now possesses and in Its nat
ural resources. II embraces within lis limits
fully 90 per cent Of all the really arabic land
west OF the Rocky Mountains.
1t constitutes che natural center of this
group OF commonwealth and everything flows
10 II by n force OF commercial and financial
gravity. The commercial centerS OF the coun-
try drain the outlying territory tributary TO
them OF their money and their best brains.
san Francisco is constantly benefited by this
absorbing process Nearly One-third OF the
wealth OF this CITY to-day was generated in the
State of Nevada. The tendency toward the
commercial, financial and social center OF any
country is in obedience 10 law as memorable
as the law OF gravity. Oregon has contributed
TO the wealth and the population OF California
and especially san Francisco. A recent illus
tratiye case may be cited, that OF s q. Reed,
one OF the pioneers OF oregon, one of its largest
capitalists who within the past Two years left
the city OF Portland, where he had accumu-
lated his vast fOrtune, and took up his resi-
leuce III E&SAQeud- HIS GtNln IN InRL CITY Is
one of the recent misiortunes OF the city where
he resided. the state OF California and in fact
the entire coast
The commerce OF San Francisco is not
bounded by the political divisions called
States. 1t Is not conscious of these divisions ut
all. The growth OF California is lnseparably
interviewer with the growth OF all the Pacific
territory.
l beg leave here and now to plead guilty IN
equivocally TO any charge that | am IN favor of
promoting the growth OF Washington, of Ore
gon, OF Nevada, or | tah, and all other Pacific
territory. No growth or prosperity come
TO the people OF these States and Territories
that viii not eventually inure 10 the upbuilding
OF California, and especially TO the augmenta-
tion OF the commerce OF the City of san Fran
cisco. l have claimed, and maintain that
claim 70 be good mat san francisco is the
metropolitan center OF the Pacific territory. If
this be true, We just as much interested in
the growth OF one portion of the territory
naturally tributary TO our City another.
In response to Il spirit OF enterprise which is
inseparable from the character OF its people
the southern part OF the State has witnessed a
marvellous growth. When II became evident
that the southern portion of this State was on
the eve OF great advancement, there was much
manifestation OF jealous alarm in many local.
ties. The alarm was due 10 the circumscribed
view which those entertaining it had OF the
relation OF things. Less than fifteen years ago
Los Angeles was city OF 1000. 1t claims
100 900 to-day. Every part of the Pacific ter
ritory has been benefited by that growth.
Portland and also Tacoma have been bene-
flied. But san Francisco has been The chief
beneficiary.
our one great need is a reinforcement of our
population and what is more, a re-eniorce-
ment of enterprising capital. We received
both in the growth OF southern California. IL
would be to the Infinite advantage of all por-
tions OF the Pacific Coast territory if Los An
geles possessed a population OF half million
to-day.
Local market means a domestic market and
natural support for local manufactures. If we
could double the population of every city in
Oregon, Washington, Utah, Nevada and ell
other States and Territories of the Pacific Coast
san Francisco as the natural commercial and
manufacturing center of all this territory,
would be incalculabl the gamer Our CITY is
the chief seaport OF nearly 5000 miles of Pa
cihc seacOast. On the commercial geography
OF the world, therefore, it possesses a relation
with the South Sea Islands and with Alaska.
il is ali expression OF the most circumscribed
provincialism on the part of any one claiming
10 be a leader OF public opinion in San FRAN
part OF the Pacific Coast territory.
For the sake of perspicuity l repeat: San
FTanciscos claim the chief metropolitan
center OF Pacific territory in the United States
and the chief seaport of Pacific Ocean COM
merce is emphasized and hOnored by the sug-
sest1on OF unified exhibit OF all the objects of
culture all the raw material on which indus
try may be expended, and all the articles OF
commerce in which merchandising is inter
ested.
It was not proposed 10 admit these States and
Territories to free exhibition, nor was it a CON
spiracy against the growth OF California. Cali
fOrnia owes debt OF gratitude to all the
States and Territories contiguous to it, and in
an especial manner does il owe this debt of
gratitude TO the STATE of Nevada.
The commercial center of any territory is
the point at which the surplus capital gem
Grated by the commercial and industrial activ-
tiles OF that territory is reservoired In a
larger way capital is reservoired in the com
mercial capital OF q nation or an empire Lon
don is the reservoir CT all the surplus capital
of the British Empire. Paris performs the
same Office Tor France, and New York for
America. In a smaller way there are subdivi-
sons of the territory of nations which have
their subordinate centers. The Pacific Coast
Is a natural geographical expression.
1t is geographically a subdivision of the ter
ritory OF the United States, and its topograpb-
ical features give this commercial territory
distinctive boundary lines 1t ought not 10 he
necessary now TO say that san Francisco is the
metropolis OF this natural geographical and
typographical subdivision OF our country That
fact ought to be understood. Beyond this IFS
commercial and industrial significance should
be understood, and still further its obligations
10 the territory which supports il ought to be
fully recognized.
That these things are not as fully appre-
hended they shonld be is evidenced by a
series of interviews published in your contem-
Dorary, the Examiner, this morning ] have
looked In vain for an expression in these inter-
views worthy of a metropolitan city, but have
not found it, Your contemporary saws thar
1.-The state Board of Trade was originally in
tended TO populate and develop California !"
Il