The San Francisco call., 1896-05-14
ON THE EVE OF A BOOM
Local Manufacturers Will Help
the Fiesta and Big
Fair.
TO HOLD BOTH TOGETHER
The Association Will Adopt a Trade
Mark and Fight Convict Made
Goods.

An important meeting of the directors
of the Manufacturers and Producers As
sociation was held Tuesday, the principal
subjects under consideration being the
home-industry fair, the proposed fiesta
and the importation of convict made
goods from the East. J. W. Kerr, A. Nc
Laughlin and ]. P. Currie have been in
vestigating the latter subject and pre-
sented the following report on their in
quiries:
The committee appointed by you TO investi-
gate the matter of convict-made goods do here
report: That in the course OF this lnyestlga-
ton we have communicated with all branches
of trade in this City, with the officials OF our
State prison, with Labor Commissioner Fitz-
gerald and with many of the officers of other
States. We have also started investigation
| through the various trades unions of this City,
who are deeply interested in this work. To
place before you all the information we have
received would make this report unnecessarily
| voluminous. We find that some of these State
prisons are practically manu- featuring villages,
] In which are made boots and shoes, clothing,
furniture, stoves, bicycles, harness. holloware,
| in fact everything nearly in the line OF manu-
facture is supplied from these institutions.
AS the result of our investigation find
convict-made goods from Eastern prisons and
| from the State of Oregon are being sold in this
| market 10 Sucn an extent tnat the growth OF
our City and State is greatly retarded thereby
| and the prosperity and standing of our mer-
chandise and manufacturers seriously imper-
lied. The true and permanent remedy for the
! evil lies in proper legislative action and, as
| you are aware, this board has already moved
| in that direction. To look for remedy from
| this quarter alone means tedious work and de-
| lay on matter which demands. immediate
| relief, We therefore recommend that efforts to
secure the desired legislation be pressed.
We further recommend as means OF secur-
1 issue
trademark for California free-laDor goods, said
trademark to be protected by the necessary
safeguards, the right 10 use this trademark be-
ing granted for such time and under such pen
alties aud conditions as will prevent an i'm
proper use OF the same.
| In support of the trademark idea we would
state that large portion of our people would
gladly discriminate in favor OF the free-labor
goods of the State, but are unable to do so by
| reason of the fact that the convict-made goods
| are being placed upon this market by firms OF
good repute, enjoying public confidence, who
do not place any mark or brand upon such
goods, without the purchaser can distinguish h
| them from those made by free labor
! We would urge upon the association the
necessity for earnest work in this direction;
that the evil may be corrected, which your
| committee believe is largely responsible for
the feeble condition of many of our manu-
featuring interests.
The proposition of adopting a trade
mark for all home made free-labor goods
was favorably considered, but laid over to
the next meeting for final action.
The special committee appointed to CO.
operate with the Mechanics Institute
trustees in arranging for home-industry
exposition presented short report upon
the progress made. The committee
stated: "The matter of cooperating with
the Mechanics Institute in holding the
exposition will be com pleted by your board
appointing committee of three to act in
con junction with the committee of man
agement and exhibits of the institute"
Chairman M. J. Keller appointed as the
committee J. W. Kerr. II. ]. Crocker and
Manager S. II. Tacy. This makes the ar
rangements between the two organizations
complete and the work of preparation for
the fair will be begun at once.
The subject of the fiesta was introduced
in the report of Manager Tacy as follows
An invitation was extended to this associa-
| tiOn to send representative to attend meet
! ing at the Baldwin Hotel on the 11th inst. for
the purpose OF discussing the advisability oil
holding carnival in this City. Representa-
tives from large number of the various or
ganizations in the City were present your
manager representing this association. The
idea OF holding grand carnival of some sort
in San Francisco was unanimously approved
of and temporary committee of seventeen
was appointed to recommend plan of perma-
nent organization, programme OF festivities
and a time for holding them.
Your manager stated that while he could n OF
speak for your board, that, inasmuch as this
!, association and the Mechanics Institute are to
hold grand nome products exposition in this
City in September, no doubt your board would
approve OF and lend any assistance possible to
a project of that nature, provided it would be
held in September of this year.
AS every effort OF this association and the
Mechanics Institute will be made to make the
, exposition notable event in the his tory oi
eXpositions in this State, and inasmuch as q
carnival or fiesta held at that time would at
tract large number of persons TO the City
/. from all over the Coast, and would therefore
afford the manufa cturers and producers of Cal
ifornia an exceptional opportunity to max,
known to the people of the Coast what they
manufacture or produce, your manager would
recommend-if it meets your approval-tha
your board take some action to-day end orsint
the propose tion, that the sentiment of this as
sociation may be expressed to the Temporary
committee at its meeting to be held on tn,
evening of the 14th inst.
The members are heartily in favor of rh.
fiesta project and, without doubt, will dt
all possible to make it success, but il wa,
decided to leave this matter in the hands
of the committee, consisting of Messrs
Kerr, Crocker and Manager Tacy. Their.
was strong desire TO have it held at the
same time as the home industry fair, be-
cause it would induce thousands of people
to visit the City in order to kill two bird,
with one stone, SO to speak.