The San Francisco call., 1896-08-04
THE SALINAS BANQUET.

The reception given at Salinas to Mr..
Claus Spreckels by the people of Monterey
County is one of the events of the day that
can be regarded with no little satisfaction
by Californians of all classes. 1t was a
gathering of men representing all forms of
industry in the county, both urban and
rural, and gave expression to the common
esteem which all industrious men have
for those great promoters of industry
whose works tend to increase prosperity,
advance civilization and add to the well
fare of all.
The occasion was in every way worthy OF
such gathering. Mr.. Spreckels went to
Salinas to announce to the farmers of the
surrounding district that if they would
furnish him with the sugar beets he would
erect in that county the largest and best
equipped sugar refinery in the world. In
his address he said: "The factory will
cover wide area of land. 1t will eat up
5000 tons of beets every day and turn out
every day 450 tons of refined sugar ready
for market. That means the distribution
among the farmers of $4,000 every day,
and $4,000 more paid to workmen and Tor
other m aterials in the manufacturing.
You can see, therefore, that this is an i'm
portant matter. Now, as / say, it is for
you to grow the beets. I'll do the rest"
1t is scarcely necessary to say that an
address of that kind, containing promise
of such industrial munifcence from man
whose promises are as good as gold,
awakened a true enthusiasm among the
listeners. Such an announcement of en-
terprise would be noted as matter of i'm
portance even in the largest cities and to
the wealthiest States In the Union. To
the people of Salinas and of Monterey
County it was an assurance of the begin
ming of veritable new era. An industry
which will distribute $4,000 among farm
ers and 5000 among workingmen every
day OF the year will surely exert power
full and overwhelming influence for good,
and by the wealth it diffuses through the
community afford the means for the estab-
lishment of new industries and new enter
prises as yet undreamed of.
The glowing prospect. moreover, is not
confined to the limits of Monterey County
or Salinas Valley. Every part and portion
of California will derive some benefit and
good from the development of this great
industry. The ambition of Mr.. SpreckeIs
is not limited to the construction of a
single refinery to be the largest in the
world. He desires to make California the
largest sugar-producing section OF the
world, to raise the output from this State
to point where it will be able not only to
supply all the needs of it's own people, but
to ship abroad annually not less than Co.
0O0, 900 tons of refined sugar. That means,
of course, q steady golden revenue flowing
into the State to add its stimulus to every
trade and brighten the comforts of every
home.
1t is worth noting, moreover, that for
this great factory to be established in their
county, Mr.. Spreckeis asks of the people
OF Monterey neither the land for site,
nor a present, nor bonus OF any kind.
All that he asks to make California the
sugar-produeer of the United States is
some protection against the competition
of the cheap labor of Europe. 1t is his
intention to maintain the rate of wages
now prevailing in California, and his de-
sire is to increase them if possible. Ger
tainIy, therefore, workingmen, farmers
and tradesmen of every class and degree
should support him in the work. As B.
Y. Sargent said at the Salinas banquet:
THE man who has made Huntington,
the greatest railroad magnate of the world,
bow the knee to him; TIE man who could
go to Philadelphia and swallow the sugar
trust, digest it cobblestones and all and
return to California in serene health and
some $4,000, 900 better off, will not fail in
this undertaking. 1t behooves US to join
MIN and hold up his hands to our utmost
ability"