Evening star., 1898-12-02
WHAT THE WEST WANTS
California Business Men Working for the
Nicaragua Canal.
President Craig of San Francisco
Chamber of Commerce Gives Views
on Pressing Needs.

Mr.. Hugh Craig, president of the chamber
of commerce of San Francisco, arrived in
Washington Tuesday and is quartered at
the Cosmos Club His mission, he states.
is in behalf of the associated mercantile
interests of California.
we are going to give Senator Morgan
and the California delegation in Congress
all our best energies and efforts to assist
IN securing legislation for the construction
or the Nicaragua canal said Mr.. Craig to
star reporter. That object must be at
tanned. The Interests in California demand
renet from the incubus of one transconti-
hental line OF railroad. In the last thirty
years our growth has been phenomenal, in
spite OF this drawback, and when that is
removed the growth will be stupendous.
NO stone will be left unturned, l can as
sure you, In order to secure this object, and
all senators and representatives will be
personally urged to give it close attention.
II only needs a gIance at the advantages
Whloh Will accrue to the entire country
from the builoing of the canal 10 make any
ialr-mlnded man its feryent advocate.
or course We are very much Interested"
ne continued. by way of Cape Horn the
distance from San Francisco to New York
~ lt'Voo miles; by way of the canal it will
De 4,9io miles. Last year California sent
east lo0o car loaas Of cltrous fruits The
rate 1or freight was cent and a half a
pound, or S5Oo per car load. Besides we
sent at the same rate 5000 car loads of
canned 1rult and 5000 car loads of dried
fruits. When the enormous railroad charge;
are considered 1t will be seen that it leaves
Hishty nttie for the tiler of the SOIL upon
"hom the entire superstructure of Pacific
coast civilization and development is
erected
Mr. Craig called attention to the patriot
ieIh ol the slope, and stated that the vol
unteers from California were the first in
the country when the recent war began to
go INTO camp. While here he will also
strongly urge the consideration of the
establishment Of an executive department
of mines and water
New Executive Department Proposed.
our California miners convention has
just adjourned, after a three days ses-
sion,' he remarked. Every member of the
convention, and every mining man In the
western mountain regions, believes there
should be recognition of their immense and
important interests by the adoption of a
law by which there Will be ADDED to the
cabinet minister of mines and water, this
depaft tment to care for and conserve noun
tam streams protect rivers, and so provide
Tor the plentiful supply of water for min
ing purposes at all times of the year by
saving in the plentiful season the water
that now runs to waste. so that in the dry
season there may be available supply
Federal neglect in this regard causes a loss
of from four TO seven millions a year of
gold to California alone There is no Ques-
uoning the necessity for action in the d.
rection | have mentioned, and We feel con-
vinced that properly directed effort will
prove successful in securing it."
Mr.. Craig will be in Washington until the
New Year, and will be joined in few
days by his daughter.