The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-01-02
The
City and County's
Needs
t he

The primary need of Los Angeles city
Is. should say, more manufactures
which would give employment and afford
means of sustenance to large numbers
Of the poorer classes of people. am
aware that many of the conditions are
not the most favorable as yet to heavy
manufacturing, but with the early adj
vent of the Salt Lake railway which will
give us cheap coal and iron, Los An.
geles should become a great manufac.
turing city.
Southern California in general, needl
more people Of the right kind. 1t needi
people with money, with energy. with
enterprise and with industry. There arc
opportunities for the safe and reason.
ably profitable investment of capital.
These opportunities will not always
come to him who sits down with folded
arms waiting for something to turn to
up"
The new settler, whether capitalist or
not, should be active and alert. The soil
is here the climate is here, the condi-
tions are here, waiting and ready to bd
utilized.
We need, too, a class of citizens who
are industrious and thrifty, and who are
willing to put their own hands to the
pillow. The increase Of production and OF
competition, no longer permit such prof
it's that the producer can hire all the
work done upon his ranch or his or
chard, and still expect to make living
and fortune on ten acres of land.
There are as fair returns awaiting
the Industrious farmer here as any
where, but gradual capitalization IL
bringing usual conditions down to the
close margins which prevail east of the
Rockies.
One thing which Is vitality needed, both
for the reputation of this section as well
as profit to our producers. is more care
and skill in the handling of farms and
orchards and their products. There is
great truth in the old aphorism. Crowd
ed below, but plenty Of room above" He
who takes the best care of his property,
who most carefully cultivates and fer
tilizes his lands, using his brains as we'll
as his hands, is almost uniformity sue
cessful
Next in Importance to the growing Of
crops is the harvesting of the same. The
man whose oranges, for example, are
carefully picked, cleaned. graded and
packed every imperfect one being re-
jected, always has a market. The at
tempt to sell and ship inferior stuff Is
running the reputation Of the country.
| 1t would better be thrown into the sea. 1t
would be money made in the end. The
same is true of other things beside or
| anges. If this country Is to maintain
| pre-eminence it must be achieved and
sustained with quality rather than
| quantity.
| Potatoes, with a few big ones in one
end of the sack and the remainder COM
posed of miserable scabby stuff, do not
make for the producer or his section an
enviable reputation.
Walnuts, with the soil which attached
| to them when they fell under the trees
still clinging to them, are unsaleablc.
whereas, those which are thoroughly
cleaned and carefully graded are usu-
ally of ready sale. They do not need
'sulphuring,' that vile subterfugc.
which is intended to make nuts seem
what they are not, and which Is I'M
necessary If they are properly cleaned
and cared for.
Our dried fruits for example. can no
longer find ready sale unless neatness
and cleanliness obtain from the time
the fruit Is taken from the tree until 1t Is
sold, and unless it is honestly graded and
| tastily packed-and so on to the end OF
the chapter.
OF course common sense must be used
in marketing our stuff. 1t will not
do to kill the goose that laid
the golden egg" by demand
ing at the beginning Of the sea-
son, more for our products than the same
class of goods are jobbing for in the great
markets upon which we must depend.
A notable example may be cited in the
fact that this year the walnut grow
ers' associations, instead of allowing
common sense to prevail. demanded
prices 20 per cent higher than similar
grades were bringing in the Atlantic
markets, with the result that those mar
kets were speedily filled to overlooking
with foreign importations to the exclu-
sion of the California article. more
sensible policy would have secured to
the walnut growers of Southern Califor-
mia at least 500, 900 more than they will
receive through the hog the persim-
mon" plan which was adopted. The or
onga growers committed the same blum
der in 1895.
try now needs more people Of the right
k,nd. and also that which our own peo-
nile can supply, viz: Careful cultivation
of the soil, and honest harvesting of its
products.
Let nothing be placed on the market
until It Is the very best exponent Of la
bor. brains and skill. and reputation
will result which will be worldwide;
: buyers from the antipodes will seek us
ont and contend for the opportunity to
buy what we have to sell and at prices
which will give us money to burn" In
short, let us have little more honesty;
first, honesty with ourselves, not OBJ
: scured by laziness, and second, honesty
with all the rest of mankind.
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