The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-31
ONE PAVILION TOO MANY.
Mechanics Institute Trustees
Think the City Too Small
for Two.
Think the Manufacturers and Pro.
ducerS' Association Should Co.
operate With Them.

The board of trustees of the Mechanics
| Institute has as yet received no communi-
cation from the Manufacturers and Pro-
ducers' Association regarding the inten-
ton of the latter body to erect pavilion
and hold industrial exhibitions of their
own. The trustees admit that competi-
tive exposition in this City would greatly
| injure the success of their undertaking,
and say that the City is not large enough
! to hold two exhibitions in the same season,
and that money and experience are neces-
| sary to carry az und ertaking of this kind
! to a successful issue.
/ Joseph Leggett said yesterday:
We have received no communication from
the Manufacturers and Producers Association,
but we understand by the papers that they
state our exhibitions are not purely repre-
sentative of California industr Yet last
year we asked for the cooperation of that body
and it failed to respond as uoerallv as one
would imagine 1t would do, having the inter
ests of the State so much at heart.
understand that If we had depended solely
on these people Tor California products, we
should have had an empty hall.
We emphatically are not bringing to bear
any spirit of opposition in this matter at all.
We have simply our own interests to look after
We feel, as the trustees, that we have a respon-
slbility on our hands in conducting the affairs
OF this institution, and when we lift up our
right hands before the members and say We
have and will conduct things rightly, We want
TO do it with clear conscienees
The Pavilion is an expensive piece of prop
erty to us, and the mere rental OF it to outside
parties comes far from paying the taxes and
expenses for its maintenance.
The Manufacturers Association endeavored
to make it clear to us thai its members had no
intention OF entering into competition with US,
but now they have evidently assumed new
role.
We have, as trustees, simply our own inter
ests to look after. Our annual exhibitions are
our one source OF profit. Last year we realized
over $40, 600 from the fair, and we needed
every cent OF it.
But all this is not precisely in my line. do
not wish TO antagonize anybody, and my
thoughts and time are mostly taken up with
the literary and educational phases of the in
stitution. Still, you understand, the board of
trustees is simply representative body, work
ing for the best interest of the institute.
Do believe a competitive fair wonld injure
the Mechanics Institute exposition? There
never will be such thing as competitive
fair. Such an undertaking requires funds.
George Cummings, vice-president of the
board, talked to some length on the sub
lect. He said:
When the Home Producers and Manufac-
turers' Association was formed, Mr.. Hallidie
tried to bring about the cooperation of our
institute and this organization. He thought it
would benefit the manufacturers as well as
ourselves. After the association was organized
we invited these gentlemen time and again to
meet us in the institute and TO arrange for an
exhibit OF home products. They promised to
assist us by every means in their power. and it
was to be purely and simply home exhibit
When the time for the exhibition came around
their promises were not fulfilled They gave
US absolutely no aid whatever. We took a
great deal OF interest in the Manufacturers
Association.
1t was part of the policy of the board that
if we conld fill the building with California
products not an inch OF space should be given
for products of the East. But you can readily
see that when we could not obtain a sufficient
amount of California products we were
obliged OF necessity to fill up with distant
W
and active cooperation of those engaged
in home industries, and decided that nothing
would be considered too small or insignificant
to be accorded space for its display.
We sent W. H. Smyth in every direction So
liciting OF them. We desired not only articles
already finished but articles in a state of man
ufacturc But as stated before, these gentle
men did not respond, and I'VE were forced to
utilize our unoccupied space for Eastern prod
ucts. When we had listened to the committee
from their association we prepared and sent to
it this letter:
TO The President and Officers Of The Mdntgac-
tip-erS' and Producers ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AT a meeting of the trustees of the Mechanics In
stttnte last evening, after the retirement of your
delegates the following action was taken:
WHEREAS, The Manufacturers and Producers
Association have requested the board of trus-
Pavilion for six weeks early in summer for the
purpose OF holding an industrial exhibition, and
whereas the Mechanics Institute is actively
engaged in preparation for It's next Industrial
exhibition to take place this fall it is the opinion
OF TINS board that IL would be detrimental to the
interests of the Mechanics Institute to have two
industrial fairs in the same season, and that
constrained 10 deny the request put ask the active
cooperation of the Manufacturers and Producers
Association to make success of the next indus
trial exhibition of the Mechanics Institute which
Will open September and close october 8, 1890.
j. H. CULVER, Secretary.
The Mechanics Institute never asked one
cent for space at the Pavilion nor for gas. The
institute was very much disappointed at the
manner with which the manufacturers failed
to respond TO its request. What object have
they in holding an exhibition of their own
when they can come in free to those given by
us annually? AS for making money out of the
Pavilion by renting it TO outside concerns, we
could derive a greater interest on our money
by investing it in United States bonds. The
money made on rentals does not pay one-tenth
of l per cent on the value of the ground. No
one institute of California has been larger
factor in promoting the interests of the State
than the Mechanics Institute.
The fair before this last fair was simply
loss. We expended 100000 in promoting the
orange exhibit, and our total receipts were
some $1,000 less than this sum.
sit is very easy for men to talk about building
but it takes money to build and money to pay
the taxes and TO run such concern.
If some of those gentlemen who are trying to
antagonize the Mechanics Institute, which is
doing all it can TO encourage home industry,
would stop importing foreign goods by the
quantity it would be much more productive of
the welfare Of California.
There viii be an electson of trustees on the
9th of February next, and would like to say
that the trustees elected will be in harmony
with home production, and the present board
Is Just as anxious for this same thing
The institute reduced the entrance fee during
the day of the last exposition from so cents, as
ii had formerly been, to % cents.
There is one thing that must always be con-
sidered-that is, that the admission fee must
be adequate to meet the expenses. What
money we desire in excess of our expenses is
used in maintaining the library, which is used
by so many hard-working people.
Our attendance has always been good. and
the season-ticket arrangement reduces the fee
to about ten cents.
Concerning the matter of awardment of
prizes to exhibitors, / would like to state that
the trustees have nothing whatever to do with
that part of it at all. A jury is chosen from
among the producers themselves, and l would
state also that as there is only one prize
awarded of a class there will always be some
disgruntled ones.
There is not room in this City for two big
buildings, and the projectors of new one win
find as ] said before, that such thing costs