The San Francisco call., 1897-07-12
OAKLAND To Be
In FULL DRESS
Ready to Entertain Ten
Thousand Christian
EndeaVorers.
Greater 0akland's Greatest Need
Is Highway Into Contra
Costa.
Of More Importance Than the Direct
Line of Steamers Opened
To-Day.

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
9cS Bro ad way, July II.
Tuesday next will certainly be the IN ost
famous day known IL the birthday OF the
city of Oakland and this fact cannot be
too we'll realized By the citizens in ad-
vance. baby not less than ten thou
sand visitors will be here, and the city has
pledged that it will entertain them
royalty.
This is no ordinary occasion and it is
the duty of every body to see that they
shoulder their share of the responsibility.
These thousands of guests will be here to
see what Alameda County has to show.
They are coming to learn something OF
California and no amount of ordinary ad-
vertising can be so efficscious as Il practi-
cal Introduction to the vast resources OF
county. The city should be made to look
gay. The Fourth decorations should be
removed and made appropriate 10 the
great Christian Endeavor day, so that the
guests viii see that they actually possess
the freedom OF tn, city for one day. This
is not matter 1or the decoration COM
mittee, but for every body who is loyal
enough to Greater Oakland TO want 10 see
their city advance.
For years much rivalry has existed be-
tween Los Angeles and Oakland .or the
prestige of laying claim 10 being the
second city of the State. The opportunity
of Tuesday is one that Los Angeles can
not possibly hope for. Her festas have
drawn together q crowd OF people of few
thousand, but hey have all come from
local cities. The thousands that will
invade Oakland next Tuesday will come
from every State in the Union. Already
their being on the coast s having a good
effect Many delegates and visitors have
made inquiry in this City as to the facil-
tiles for engaging in business and settling
here, and yet the committee men on en-
tertainment still needs about five hun
dred dollars to place affairs in such shape
that they will not have TO go down into
their own pockets. Even should this
N oney rot be forthcoming it will not in
terfsre with the programme next Tue sday,
ecause the workers will supply anypos'
sible deficiency. This, however, is not
just. They have worked for weeks and
their la Dor is really q handsome donation.
The resultant benefit will be fe.t by all
and any citizen whose name is not down
for sma all amount should redeem him
self the first thing on Monday.
Tomorrow will mark an important
event in the produce business of this city.
The first steamer to come direct from
Sacramento River points to Oakland with
cargo will land at Adams wharf.
Should this experiment prove successful
thera is no doubt that the whole of Oak
lnnd's commission business, which has
teen done through San Francisco, will be
done directly with the producers.
This question naturally brings forward
another. Why is it necessary for Alameda
County, which is essentially an agricultu-
raj ard horticultural county, to go out
side of her own boundaries or those of her
sister county of Contra Costa for any pro-
due? few months ago there was some
talk OF organizing produce exchange in
this city. Such an institution is now
necessity and will soon be more so. Il is
remarkable that large amount OF A a.
media County produce goes daily to San
Francisco, and much of 1t is bought back
again by local dealers after the cost of
freight, handling and comm ssion has
been added. More has come here from
the Sacramento River, through the San
Francisco houses, but there has been COM
paratively little business done directly
between producers and local dealers. OF
course, from the Oakland standpoint, such
a condition OF affairs is absurd, but n ot
more so than many other existing condi-
tions.
This brings the matter very close home
to the project now being earnestly advo-
Gated by the Merchants Exchange-the
com pletion OF good wagon road into
Contra Costa County. That agricultural
county to the north is remaining to
great extent undeveloped because of no