The San Francisco call., 1898-03-13
Mayor Phelan Studying Over the Preliminary
 Committee.
Wants Citizens Who Will Enter Into the Movement
 With Spirit.
He Is in Favor of Delaying the F air However, Until After the Paris Exposition.

= Mayor Phelan has not yet announced the committee that is to take the pre- Iiminary steps toward the fitting cele- bration of the semi-centennial anniver- sary of the admission of California into the Union. While he is heartily in favor of the exposition suggested by The Call, he is desirous of first ascer- taining that those appointed by him will serve and give all of the time and energy requisite to make the affair one that will not alone rebound to the credit of the State, but to the entire Pacific Slope,
 T am in accord with the movement" " said Mayor Phelan yesterday, but believe that the exposition should not be had until 1901 The Worlds Fair will be held in 1900 at Paris, and it would prove great counter attraction, There is no special need of holding our celebration in 1900 because that year will mark the fiftieth anniversary of California's admission into the sister hood of States. The Chicago fair was held in 1893 to commemorate the four hUndredth anniversary of the discovery of America That was one year late. for Columbus made his discovery in 1492. If that event could be properly commemorated a year later, why not the golden wedding of California also a year later?
 By holding an exposition in 1901. |" continued the Mayor, we could have a very fine exposition, taking the best exhibits from Paris, and shipping them from French ports direct to San Fran cisco. The secret of the success of the Midwinter Fair as an exposition was the facility of getting exhibits from Chicago. Now, it perhaps costs less to bring exhibits from Paris than it does to bring them from Chicago. By bring ing exhibits already prepared, with beautiful installation furniture from Paris, we might say that by deciding upon 1901 we have fair ready made which will be none the less attractive because it has been at Paris. The Chi cago Fair was so large that people missed, as they will miss in Paris, many of the beauties of the exhibits.
 AS regards the site for fair, l am in favor of building the fair on the Ocean boulevard. There it would be unique. A use of this land could, no doubt, be secured from the property owners, because it is now a barren waste, and would have to be reclaimed, or from the Park Commissioners. The Commissioners could improve that end of the park during the next two or three S, After the fair is closed, the region south of the park, in the neighborhoCd of the boulevard, will have a splendid stimulus and development, which will add to the taxable property of San Francisco, and serve to bring in our outlying districts where men can build homes. Transportation facilities will follow such development. There is no city in the world that has such beau tjflll and uniQue site
 The Midwinter Fair was built with out any city, State or national aid. Ev- cry American fair since, and including Chicago, has had such aid. The Gov ernment is now building a S2O0,O00 structure at Omaha, and it was also represented at Atlanta Hence Con- sress could be easily induced to make an appropriation for our fair, and the State Legislature would, no doubt. give it official sanction and aid, and in the hands of a competent committee the