The San Francisco call., 1897-03-11
FIBER CULTURE
IN CALIFORNIA
Data Produced by the
Safe Development
Committee.
A College of Commerce Advo'
Gated for the State
University.
w. H. Murray, Founder of the San
Francisco Journal OF Commerce,
Makes Suggest tions.

An important meeting OF the State
Development Committe was held at their
rooms in the Mills building yesterday. w.
M. Bunker presided at the meeting, which
was called to discuss the proposition OF
fiber culture in California, and the estab-
hshment OF a college of commerce at the
State University.
In reviewing the works of the past eight
months, the chairman stated that ample
demonstration mad been made of the fact
that Der culture and the manufacture in
to articles of the raw material in this
State is entirely acicable.
Among the facts cited were the follow
ing:
In 1894 San Francisco imported over
800, 900 pounds of twines and netting all
being the product of fax. Farmers pay
annually over $3.50 600 for sack twines and
fish canneries over S300,000 for netting
twines. The 5000 bales of cotton yearly
consumed by the cotton mills OF the State
all come from Texas and New Orleans.
In 1894 over $4,000 pounds of haxseed,
used In the manufact ure of iinseed oil,
was imported, and 1,407 pounds of fax
and hemp yarns.
The speaker also asserted that promi-
nent business man OF this City has I'M
ported from Scotland machinery for the
manufacture of fax, twines, hemp and
ramie. As soon as the raw material can
be rnished it will be put into operation.
A bill was introd uced in the Legislature
by Frank l.. Coon bs, speaker OF the AS
sembly, after having been indOrsed by The
various bodies composing the Council OF
Associated Industries, tending to bring
together the various department of the
business so as TO make them success but
it was found to conflict with bill pre-
viously introduced for The benefit OF the
[ University of California and Withdrawn.
The com mittee has, however, urged upon
the regents of the university the impor-
tance of establishing a department to
carry out the purposes outlined by the
committee. A resolut on has been intro
duced by Regent Arthur Rodgers which
covers the matter nicely.
The following resolution was offered by
Mr.. Rich and adopted unanimously:
Resolued, That this committee earnestly re-
quest the Board OF Regents of the University
OF California to promptly axe such measures
II may deem wise TO further the fiber indus
try os California, ana that We pledge the
hearty support OF the State Development Com
mitt in any plans they may inaugurate.
In speaking on the inject, W. H. Muir
ray, founder of the San Francisco Journal
Of Commerce, said:
Mr.. Rodgers resolution, offered before
the 6oard of Regents, meets with my
heartiest approval. a college of com
n,erce for the State University is timely
suggestion. 1t could cooperate in its
duties with the College of Mining and the
College of Agriculture, thus benehting in
common the mining and farming indus
tries and commercial and other trades.
'San Francisco should have factories,
not only for fiber culture, but for tobacco
and Iinplate. Special reports could be
m ade, samples OF articles of commercial
value placed on exhi bition. and the devel-
opment following would give employ
ment to our mechanics, tend to build up
our cities and make a good demand for
our horticultural and agricultural prod
ucts."
The following data as to the manufac-
lures in San Francisco were furnished by
the same gentleman:
F ood products. ts...................... $40 1000 600
Metal IL 600 600
Textile, etc.. Observation-Disclosures. 10000 900
Lumber. Observation-Disclosures. SS0O.OOO
lie ather 5000. 900
O. stsn