The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-06
FILCHER'S IDEA
FOR A BUREAU
The Novel Structure He
Would Have for a State
Exhibit.
Opinions as to Locating the Min
ing Building in Golden
Gate Park.

George A. knight is the attorney who
has been requested to look up the law and
prepare a bill for the establishment and
maintenance by the State of an extensive
mining exhibit and another of the other
products of the State, as announced in
HE CALL. As vet daft of the bill has
not been prepared, but it will, it is ex-
pecteu, be drawn up for presentation dur
ing the early part of the next session of
the Legislature.
]. A. Filcher, secretary of the State
Board OF Trade, in discussing the pro-
posed bill said that he was in favor of a
building in which there could be made an
extensive display OF all the products of
California.
"My idea," said be, sis that the build
ing should be in the shape of the State,
with a section set apart to represent each
county just as they are shown on the map.
Where the division lines are in the map
there ought to be walks. In each county
there should be a full exhibit of every
product, and each county should furnish
relia bic data about these products and the
resources. Such building would be edu-
cational in high degree, and would give
people at glance the relative position of
one county to another. Such building
would be an odd-shaped one, of course,
and would require a large site, ana with
that idea in view Golden Gate PARK Would
be good location Tor it.
In my judgment there ought to be in
such building all the public offices that
are maintained at the expense OF the State
and which are scattered in every
direction"
Julian Sonntag, secretary of the Cali
fornia Miners Association, said that while
an exhibit of the minerals of the State is
good in its way and ght as well be in
Golden Gate Park as anywhere else he did
not think that was what was wanted to
induce people to develop the mineral re-
sources OF the State.
This State" said the secretary, fought
to make liberal allowance to enable the
State mineralogist to procure full, reliable
data about every mining district in the
State, which he cannot do now for want
of the means required. The mining in
terest is, in my opinion, the most import
ant in the State to-day, and in order to
properly develop it there should be reliable
figures, maps and charts, so that those in
search of information could obtain it.
Fifty thousand dollars a year for five years
expended for the Mining Bureau, which at
this time is of but little value, would re-
suit in attracting people to this State. who
would develop its mineral resources, and
the expenditure OF that mount of money
would be worth hundreds of millions of
dollars TO the State. If anything is to be
done to increase the usefulness of the
Mining Bureau it should be in the line OF
enabling it to gather information which
could be relied upon rather than in the
matter of an exhibit.
LAS to a State exhibit, that is well
enough as an attraction, but what the
State needs is more manufactures ana a
determined movement against convict
manufactured goods"
John J. Crawford, State mineralogist,
said that while he was favorable 10 a move
ment that would increase the usefulness
of the Mining Bureau and would prefer a
site in the park to the present loca-
ton, he did not think the place suita BILE
choice owing TO the distance He
thought it ought to be in a central loca-
ton.
Joseph Austin, president of the P ark
Commissioners, said that if the State
would establish the Mining Bureau and
State exhibits in the park there would be
found plenty OF room for the building or
buildings necessary, and suggested as to
the style of structure that ought to be left to
com petition by architects. He was of the
opinion that such exhibits as have been
suggested would be OF the greatest benefit
to the State and City.