The herald., 1898-02-12
a YEARS STEADY PROGRESS

| to the office in this city would increase tn
accuracy and extend the period covered b
the forecast. Today a higher percentag
is obtained on forecasts covering perio
of thirty-six hours than was formerly &C
complished in twenty-four hour forecasts
II is generally conceded that the rain an
frost warnings have been of almost incal
culable value to the horticultural interest
in California
| During the year great progress has beer
made in the beet sugar industry in South
ern California. The Alamitos sugar fac
tory, owned by Messrs. Clark Bros, ha'
just closed a most successful campaign
and they are now at work enlarging theil
| factory to more than double its presen
capacity. The Oxnards are constructing
a factory at Oxnard in Ventura county
| that is to have a capacity of slicing 100
tons OF beets per day. and may increase Il
10 1000 tons per day.
| The success attained by the citrus fruit
| growers in profitably marketing then
| fruit by organizing their associations
should stimulate the deciduous fruit grow.
ers to form similar associations in every
| fruit growing district throughout South
| ern California and market their fruit, both
| fresh and dried, through this medium and
use, so far as sens TO their advantage
| the machinery of the citrus fruit associa-
| tions. If the associations are conducted
upon business principles they will be able
| to satisfactorily solve the problem of prof
| tably marketing their fruit.
| The good work done by the chamber in
assisting TO secure the necessary protec-
ton for our various products is, believe.
| thoroughly appreciated by our fruit grow
| ers and other horticulturists.
The immediate construction of the Mica
ragua canal, which the chamber has con-
stantly advocated. will be of the utmost
| importance to Southern California. There
would seem to be almost no limit to the
prosperity which we may reasonably hope
for upon the completion ofthis great
work. Upon the completion of this canal
our fresh fruits and other products will be
transported from San Pedro in refrigera-
tor steamers to New Orleans in eight days.
to New York in ten days and 10 Liverpool
and Havre in fourteen days. The latest
advices from Washington encourage the
hope that congress will, during the pres
ent session, pass the necessary bill to aid
in the construction of the canal.
1t is also very gratifying to know that
capitalists and contractors who have
abundant means at their command, who
have been engaged in excavating the drain
age canal at Chicago. are al the present
time with their engineers engaged on the
ground in making thorough examination
of the route of the canal, with view to
constructing it in case the government
does not take it up at this session of con-
gress.
This would seem to be an opportune
time to secure the establishment of a
twelve-company military post in this vi
cinity. There is no post of much import
ance within 800 miles of this city, and now
that the frontier has been obliterated by
the construction of the tranScontinental
railways it has become the policy of the
government to abandon the small posts
and concentrate the troops into larger
posts in the interest of economy and better
discipline.
1 think this chamber should also take
up the matter of securing the return to this
city of the army headquarters that were
removed from here in 1895. Geographic
ally this city is much the best location for
the headquarters. Many trains daily ar
rive from or leave for the principal posts
in Arizona and New Mexico 1t is stra-
tegical point in a military sense; a cheaper
market for supplies, and the most con-
venient for rapid movement of troops and
supplies to posts in those territories.
There are so many sound reasons that
can be given to prove that it would be in
the interest of economy and convenience
for the government to have twelve-com-
pany military post located in this vicinity,
also to have the headquarters returned
here, that there is little doubt that if the
chamber should take these matters up
with it's usual vigor and persistence it
could secure both of them.
In conclusion, 1 desire to acknowledge
with sincere thanks the uniform courtesy
the officers and members of the chamber
during the past year, and to express the
hope that l may receive your hearty sup
port and cooperation during the ensuing
year.
(Signed) CHAS. FORMAN, President.
REPORT OF SECRETARY
To the Members of the Los Angeles Cham
ber of Commerce-Gentlemen:
This report covers the period from Feb
ruary l, 1897, to February l. 1885, On March
II, 1897, c. d. Willard resigned the position
of secretary; to him you have been in
debted for annual reports giving concise
and comprehensive ideas of the advance
ment made by this organization since the
year 1891, when he was first installed in the
office of secretary. Since his resignation
we have endeavored to keep the DEPART
ments up to their usual standing.
The encouraged condition of affairs
within the past year has been made ap-
parent in the progressive work of the
chamber; both the membership and the
amount of money in the treasury have
been increased. The finances of the
chamber for the past year are as follows:
February /, 1897, cash with treas
urer .........................$ III 46
Reserve fund in savings bank..... 2,O52. .12
Receipts 1897. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1325O 30
Expenditures, 1897. .$l2, ,2GO 43
The actual income from dues shows an
increase of $i06 and initiation fees 500 over
last year. The reserve fund has been in
creased $s47.SS. While the expenditures
show a decrease of only $32S4. the salary
and labor account shows a decrease of
SS93 20.
The chamber has expended more of its
funds for printed matter than in any pre-
vious year. But few additions have been
made to the chambers possessions within
the past year; sufficient, however, to over
come the percentage deducted for actual
wear and tear of furniture and fixtures.
During the year eighty-one members were
dropped from the roll, on account of resig-
nations, deaths, removals or for non-pay-
ment of dues. Two hundred and eighteen
new names have been added; 1S6 of those
were secured by the actual work of the
membership committee since June l, 1897.
The greatest number appearing on the
membership roll for the past year was
1913 The membership now stands at an
even thousand, making this organization
the largest of it's kind west of Chicago,
and it is doubtful if one exists in the
United States that is more active and pro-
ductive of more good.
The chambers correspondence has more
than doubled over that of last year; the
average daily mail being twenty to thirty
letters and from thirty to forty newspa-
pers and circulars. On many days the let
terS of inquiry run from SeVenty-GVe to