The San Francisco call., 1897-03-04
GETTING READY
TO ASSEMBLE
The Postoffice Meeting Will
Be Held This After
noon.
Great Enthusiasm Is Manifested
by All Glasses in the
City.
Unanimous Sentim mt Is That the
Construction Should Be Begun
Without Delay.

All of the arrangements for the mass
meeting; in the Chamber of Commerce at
o'clock to-day, that has for its object the
early commencement of the work on the
new Postoffice building in this City, have
been completed.
Everything indicates that there will be
a very large attendance OF representative
citizens of all walks OF life. The six prin-
cipal bodies calling the joint meeting rep
resent several thousand business men.
The membership OF the Manufacturers
and Producers Association comprises
about 650-mostly firms. The Chamber of
Commerce is composed of 406 names of
business men and firms. The me mi ber-
ship of the Builders Exchange embraces
$50 firms and contractors. In the Mer-'
chants Association there are the names
of $50 firms representing probabl yfour
times that number OF people. The San
Francisco and the California State Boards
of Trade will add at least $500 to the rep
resentati on of the meeting. While it is
not expected that every one of these will
be present, a su fficient number promised
to fill the Chambe of Commerce Hall to
the doors.
It is believed that either Hugh Craig or
Julian Sonntag will preside, and the sec.
retaryship is likely to fall to either
Captain w. L. Merry, J. A. Filcher or
Oscar Lewis. If Mayor PheIan is able he
will be present. AS stated in The CALL
yesterday there will be plenty of weli.in-
formed and able speakers present who
will present the proposition in clear and
concise language, but 1t is the desire OF
those most active to have these speeches
short, crisp and to the point.
In these addresses, however, several
prominent points, already EN- mphasized in
THE CALL, will be discussed. Among
these are: First, that San Francisco now
has an sntiquat led old brick and plaster
structure that is sadly showing the raw
ages of time and the accommodations of
forty years ago. It is constant source
OF expense for repairs and alterations so
that it can be used at all. 1t is not fit
for the transaction of the volume of busi-
ness that goes through it.
A lot for a new Federal building has
been purchased and there is about So 40, coo
over the amount of the appropriation for
the purchase of the lot with which to start
the work. With an additional appropri-
alton of $4,000. that should be made by
the incoming administration, the work
could be continued after the first stated
sum is exhausted for excavation and put
ting in the foundation.
There is no intention of ceusuring any
of the officials at Washington or the rep
resen tatives III Congress for the already
long delay in tue commencement Of oper-
ations, but a respectful memorial will be
presented in which the foregoing facts
will be set forth accompanied by the re-
quest that the work be started and means
provided for its continuance.
There IS another class in the community
that has not passed without notice and
con nsideration in this question. THE CALL
at the earliest stage of this agitation drew
attention to the fact that in this City at
the present time is a large number of un-
EN- ployed, and the construction of the
new Federal building will give employ
ment to several hundreds of deserving
people. Whoever obtains employment
thereon will relieve the labor market,
whether he be skilled mechanic, union
artisan or common laborer without organi-
zation. At this particular time any help
in this direction will be Of great general
and special relief. because it will place in
circulation a goodly sum of money.
The efforts of The CALL in starting this
agitation have been appreciated by all
classes, and particularly by the working
people. The San Francisco Labor Coun-
Gil has gone on record in this matter and
at its last meeting passed strong resolu-
tions in keeping with the movement.
These will be forwarded by the council to
the authorities at Washington.
Thus it is seen that the dem and for the
work to begin is made in all directions,
and there is so much sincerity iI it that
there is no doubt but what the meeting
TODAY will be q grand success