The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19

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troubles every merchant
whose business extends be-
yond the limits of the city,
and indirectly interests and affects
even these. Primarily the merchants
and manufacturers of the city may TO
some extent be themselves to blame, as
they failed in many instances to real
ize the necessity of adopting different
business methods when Eastern deal
ers and manufacturers began to COM
pete directly and actively on this coast.
What I think San Francisco lacked
at that time was friction; the kind OF
friction which is produced by an &C
tive, direct and visible rival. We have
been alone in our glory on this coast
and did not recognize the Importance
CT the competition which developed by
travellers coming out here and divert
ing a little trade here and there, to
this city or that in the East, because
each such diversion seemed too trif1ing
to notice, and before we knew it all
these little rivulets became a vast and
mighty river, which made it appear, at
least for time, that San Francisco
had seen it's best days as a diStribut-
ing point for this coast. But gradu-
ally our merchants are learning from
their competitors and putting them
selves in shape to fight these
competitors on their own lines and in
their own manner, so that in many
branches, particularly where freight is
a material item in the cost of goods,
San Francisco has regained its SUI
premacy.
What is still lacking is a broader
spirit among our merchants, a spirit
which will induce them to stand to-
gether to help each other, and rather
see a competitor make a sale than to
see the customer go to other places.
1t is this spirit which is particularly
noticeable in Chicago, where the rule
is every merchant first for himself,
next for Chicago as against the whole
world"
This spirit will probably be devel-
oped here more through the active
competition of direct rivals, which our
southern and northern cities on the
coast are gradually growing to be, than
trough any inherent qualities of our
own, like family which becomes unit
ed the moment an outsider interfereS
with its internal affairs. But the great
est advancement of San Franchises
commerce and particularly its manu-
featuring interests must come from
the greater development and increased
population of our coast, and if our cap
italists, merchants, manufacturers,
our laborers and even our professional
men but realized the possibilities of our
territory each one would strive accord
ing to his means and opportunities to
add something to the attractiveness of
our city and the productiveness of our
surroundings. And here again must
feel that we have been to a certain eX-
tent guilty of neglect in the past.
We talk about manufacturing and
the benefits which would result If our
wants were largely supplied by home
made products, but we forget that
manufacturers can only compete sue
cessfully if they have sufficient num-
Der of consumers to manufacture in
quantities and to keep the manufac
turing going throughout the year.
Many other things might be said on
these subjects, but they can be better
said by others.
hope 1 have in the above remarks
set few of our people thinking and
induced some to resolve firmly, first, to
push our opportunities individually
and collectively, and next to assist
every movement and enterprise for the
purpose of increasing these oppOrtuni-
ties, all of which, if generally done,
will make the future of San Francisco
and this coast as bright and prosper
Gus as the unsurpassed natural condi-
tions surrounding us intended it to be-