The San Francisco call., 1898-03-26
1ALIFORNIA'S SEMICENTENNIAL

-HE great international fair cele-
 brating the ffftieth anniversary of
 the admission of the Golden State
 into the Union may now be regard
 ed as an assured fact. Mayor Phe- Ian has completed the important task of naming the fifteen committee men who will handle the various branches of the vast undertaking. men who have been selected after mature deliberation as being representative cit izens in their line And it is pleas ing fact, indicative of the success or the project, that all have entered into the spirit of the project with unbound ed enthusiasm and have promised to do all in their power to further the best interests of their State
 Now that the committee has been appointed the next thing to be consid- cred is a meeting for the purpose or formulating the preliminary steps. Here is where the greatest caution will have to be exercised, as start in the right direction means much to the ultimate success of the affair. Mayor PheIan states that he will call a meeting or the committee in a few days. At that meeting it is probable that the hrst thing to receive consideration will be the matter of a State appropriation to aid in bearing the expenses or the work.
 Governor Budd has received letters from the Governors of Nebraska, Mon tana, Oregon and Minnesota, all prom ising warm support for the fair. Each one promises to appoint committee to a convention to be held to discuss plans for the exposition and to do whatever else may be in his power for the good of the project. The Cover nor of Idaho is at present out of that State, but his secretary, under date or March I5, writes that he is expected to return in a few days, and favora- ble reply will doubtless be received at that time.
 From the Mayors of the various cities and towns of the interior come letters eulogistic of the idea of a great inter national fair to spread abroad the knowledge of the resources of this State and the advantages of living here. Sev- eral are given in this issue, and others will be printed later on.
 Attorney J. B. Reinstein of the law firm of Reinstein 6 Eisner, who has been assigned the educational and pro- fessional branch of the grand celebra- tion, believes it too early yet to dis cuss the means of securing the ceIe- bration or the features; that these things should be left to the mature de- liberation of the committee.
 "California is State the advantages of which are little known throughout the East and elsewhere" he said, and there is no doubt that such an eXposl- tion would do us a world of good. There is no reason in my opinion, if proceed ure is made along the right lines, why the affair could not be made grand success. My professional and other du- ties are pretty heavy at present, but l am in hopes they will tighten by the time active work in this matter be- comes necessary, as l would take great deal of pride in lending my best efforts to the furtherance of the plan.
 A. s. Baldwin of the real-estate firm of Baldwin 6 Howell, who has been as- signed the Merchants Association branch of the celebration, stated yes terday that the proposition will prob ably be brought before that body after the charter has been signed which will probably be within two weeks Speak ing individually, he was sure that the association could be depended upon to do all in it's power for the furtherance of so worthy a project.
 "A great deal of preliminary work will have to be done by the committee before the citizens are assembled" he said, "and the most important thing to be considered is the raising of the nec- essary funds. The people will doubtless enter into the spirit of the affair so heartily that 1 anticipate little trouble in that direction
 There is one branch of the celebra- tion which will be exemplif1ed in a manner never seen before west of the Rockies-the amusement element. This branch has been placed in charge of a man of experience and keen profes- sional spirits. H. Friedlander of +ha Nj & Marx.
 T am going to make this one of the efforts of my life, said that com mitteeman yesterday. ''The people of this State can rest assured that they will be given amusements of such a nature and such a character that they alone will be one of the strongest drawing cards of the celebration, card that will bring tremendous in Aux of people into the State, without considering any other feature.
 "AS I have been only lately notified, l have had no chance to outline any plans as yet. However, can say this: The character of the amusements will be different from anything ever given the public here before, and it will be absolutely independent of the the aters''
 w. H. Mills, who will have charge of the transportation branch of the af- fair, asserted yesterday that this end can be depended on to take care of it. self. He did not care to make any definite statements, on account of the fact that the committee must act as whole. In MT. Mills estimation, the affair, if conducted rightly. will be of in- calculable value to the State in many ways, educating as it will the country at large to a proper appreciation of the resources of the State.