The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-13
TESTIMONY TO
THE INDUSTRIES
Of CALIFORNIA
Oakland's Exposition
Formally Opened.
MORAL OF THE EXHIBITS
PRESIDENT NELSON ON THE
NEED OF FACTORIES.
Manager Gray Compares This State
With Others as Offering
Material for Ex-
hibits.
MORAL OF THE EXHIBITS
PRESIDENT NELSON ON THE
NEED OF FACTORIES.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
Il


90S Broadway, Nov. IL.
This evening the Exposition was for
mally opened by Dr. George c. Pardee.
The feature of the evening was an ad-
dress on behalf of the directors of the
Exposition on California's products and
industries by John w. Nelson, president
of the Exposition Association.
President Nelson said:
This is the fourth Industrial exposition that
has been held in Oakland, and thanks TO the
united efforts OF those having the matter in
charge they improve from year to year. In
this growing city and in the fourishing county
of Alameda, rich in agriculture, horticulture
be one of the events of the year. When Oak
land, Alameda Berkeley and the cluster of
sister towns, aggregating over one hundred
should crown the work of the exposition direc-
tors in advancing the material interests of the
city and county, which, whether considered
from an agricultural, industrial or commercial
standpoint possess resources and facilities
rarely equaied and never surpassed. Our rail-
road and steamship facilities place us in
munication with the markets of the world and
which nature has lavishly provided on this side
OF the bay can be so developed to bring the
commerce OF nations to our doors Expositio
serve to bring to the attention of business
men our great and varied resources and also
our wants and the means OF supplying them.
And this brings me to the most important
lesson taught by this exposition. With a State
richer in natural resources than any other in
the union, rich in gold, silver minerals, cere-
ais, wine, fruit, sugar, live stock, hops. honey,
exceeds hundred millions OF dollars in value,
and aside from gold and silver our State
abounds in marvellous mineral wealth, viz:
Magnasite, sulphur, sulphite, plumbago, as
bestos, marble, granite, bitumen, asphalt, cop
per, Manganese, petroleum borax, cement, fire
clay, Limestone, slate. platinum, salt, soda
zinc and mineral paint, atfording as they do
IN some respects valuable heId 70 the cap
1tallsts for their development, which would
greatly add to the prosperity OF the community
and Mountaineering all these yar rig and
features True we have furnishing industries
and the skill and enterprise OF our people have
found channels for the distribution OF their
commodities to some extent. but this only
serves to emphasize our deficiencies in this re-
gard.
This is the age of iron and steel and yet how
few our industries In this line 1t is fact
that California has the best iron and steel
in the world yet it imports over 100 600 tons
of goods made from iron and steel every year.
And consider the great textile industries. out
side of local industries we have practically
nothing in this line though our State imports
about 1000 tons of textiles annually. With
California leather the best earth. we import
10000 to 50, 600 cases of boots and shoes every
year, and l might swell the list indefinitely.
Now these expositions are object lessons to
people; they show what is wanted and help
to suggest remedies; where people can gather
is not local, but its purpose is to embrace in
a sort OF rendezvous where the hosts of indus
try can assemble, compare notes and suggest
plans for the future II affords opportunities
for manufacturers to assemble and discuss
measures for advancing the interests of the
commonwealth.
sci in this way. for not only have we our peo-
pie at home to supply, but the thunders of
especially California boys, who the
first in ManiIa-have opened up to practi-
cally an unlimited market to supply the mil
lions of the Philippines. We should be wide
awake, our Eastern brethren have their
eyes this. blrthright. For more than
two years there has been brisk transit trade
carried with China, Japan and the Phil
ippines by Eastern manufacturers.
Every steamer (and there is nearly one every
week. carries average Of s120,0O0 worth of
Eastern manufactured goods past our doors,
and there is one item which Oakland used TO
supply-nails-of which these steamers
have taken ZOO to 10000 worth. enough
to supply a hourishing industry in our midst
in addition to what is needed for the home sup
ply-and there is now a transit trade with Aus
tralia and New Zealand and one is starting up
with the Hawaiian Islands. All this trade
should be
In the matter of manufactures we are def
cient and need stirring up. And first Of all
we must learn TO support home industries;
these at the last census were in all the State
valued at 5000 600 0OO At least $780, 600 900 could
well be added to our production to supply our
home wants II our people would manifest a
proper public spirit in these matters all of
local industries would become prosperous. real
estas you'd pro m yaa1e and our people
We should labor to improve these expeditions.
ample, The exposition there was unique in its
way and one of the most complete ever held
in this country Every department OF art 1T and
the praise of all visitors, and the exposition
closed few days since with nearly half a
in Oakland in the future may have
an exposition that shall rival the just
closed at Omaha.
Manager Charles Gray, who has been
on the management of many expositions,
made a short speech on his experience
and wound up by declaring that Cali
fornia was better fitted than any other
place on earth to make perfect exposi-
ton on account of the great variety of
her products.
Mayor Thomas in a few words officially
declared the Exposition opened.
Many of the exhibits are far from COM
plete, but by Monday everything will be
in order and the exposition will no doubt
be visited by thousands.
For the opening night the attendance
was very large.