The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-12

+ Under this direction California will be
we'll represented, but it remains with
the people to insure pre-eminence in
competition with the best product of
| every section of the earth. Moreover,
there is no time TO be lost in arranging
the details of the proposed exhibit. The
live men Of each county of the State
must undertake the task Of forwarding
| the interests Of this exhibition. They
must first themselves thoroughly APP
preciate the Importance of the work to
be accomplished, and then they must
| impress their neighbors with the ne
cessity of individual effort. To achieve
success in this enterprise commensurate
with the profit which we hope to derive
it will be incumbent upon the citizens
of California, individually and collec-
lively, to devote their best energies to
the work.
The object of this exhibition is to adj
vertise the production and capacity of
the State to advantage in those mar
kets Of the world where our staples VIII
create a demand. 1t will be the pur-
pose of this advertisement to inform
consumers that we can supply a better
article than they have been receiving
from competing producers. If we can
once establish this fact the price of the
commodity will take care of itself and
our monopoly of superiority will insure
ample profit.
| 1t is the lack of world market that
| hampers and retards Californian pro-
/ duction at the present time. Our mar
! ket scarcely exceeds the boundaries Of
! the Pacific Coast, and we are steadily
overproducing. The consequence is low
| prices, waste and inevitable loss. When
| it shall be possible to secure a market
| in which the demand shall exceed the
| supply we may regulate the price of
what we have to sell instead of having
the price regulated for us. This condi-
ton may be brought about by Offering
cur product where its superiority will
| compel recognition and acknowledge
ment in competition with the best that
| has heretofore been offered.
| The best place to offer an article, the
superiority of which we are assured, is
| III the market where the demand is
| greatest, and, provided we can demon
! strate the superiority Of that we Of
| fer. it will not matter if the competi-
! ton we invite is based upon the pro-
| duct of the soil upon which we intrude
our alien commerce. If California can
| produce the best wine in the world, no
! better market can be sought than that
| of France, the greatest wine producer
on earth; if our fruit in any form is
| better than that of any other country,
our best market might be found on the
| shores of the Mediterranean, famed for
centuries as the conservatory of Eu-
rope; if the productive capacity of our
| State is better than that Of the over
crowded acres Of Germany, Austria
Italy or Russia, that fact must be adj
vertised among those who are seeking
to better their condition by their in
dustry and intelligence. All these
sources of material profit may be
reached at the great exhibition in Paris
in 1900, and no effort or expense will be
wasted if devoted to this end.
California cannot afford, however, to
take an inferior position in the ire
mendous competition of the Partisan
exhibition.
1t will not profit us to be merely rep
resented.
We must not only attract curious at
tention in the aggregation" but we
must command an unmistakable YER
dict of superiority in every department
of our exhibit.
If there be the slightest doubt of our
ability to do this we may as well stay
at hone-the Worlds Fair at Paris in
1900 is no place for US.
Such an exhibit as the State Board
of Trade has proposed need not inter-
fere with any local exhibition. AS a
matter of fact, the effort of the Board
Of Trade should be a stimulus to the
local enterprise. The return to the ma
terial prosperity of the entire State VIII
be enhanced by the State exhibit and
its influence will ably second that which
we make in the wider field of an Inter-
national Exposition