The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-10
TO MEMORABLE CONGRESS
FOR THE COLONIAL FAIR
MECHANICS INSTITUTE ASKS
AID OF COMMERCIAL BODIES.
Government Appropriation Will Be
equested-Exhibit to Be Given
to State Board of Trade.

The following communication, INTENDED
to invoke the assistance of commercial
organizations in the proposed COLONIAL
Fair to be held at the Mechanics Pa
mercantile circles by the MECHANICS IN
sttute. The proposition is one OF such
magnitude that President Denicke of the
institute is of the opinion that it cannot
the cooperation of the mercantile ele-
ment in the community. If the move
i 16 i, De made general one there Will pc
no no difficulty in inducing Congress to ap-
pr0prlate the required amount for the
proper collection and exhibition of the re
sources e of our newly acquired colonies in
LIE philippines and West Indies.
Inc letter reads as follows:
Dear Sir: 1 beg to call your attention to
S cue anc'osed copy of letter from Professor
the Mechanics Institute to hold a colonial fair
IN TINS city. 1 scarcely need dwell on the i'm
po[taHce Of commercial museum being es-
p IanIlslga IN this city. similar to the one IN
The Mechanics Institute proposes that its
coming falr, opening September next, shall
Oe a eoIonlal fair and shall embrace EXHIBITS
OF Ihe products and resources of Hawaii, the
Td4pPP Islands, Siberia, Eastern ASIA ana
Cehtfai america; the intention being to AWAKEN
the interest OF our capitalists and merchants
10 the commercial possibilities of those coun-
1t is our intention to memorabilia Congress
10 appropriate $4,000 for the purpose Of col
Letting exhibits. which on their arrival in
this city will be Installed in The Mechanics
faVliloi at our expense, and at the conclusion
OF the fair will be turned over to the State
Board OIL Trade for exhibition, to a CONNER
Glal museum. II by that time one be organized.
Lieutenant PROFESSOR A. p. Hayne. formerly
or the state University, and now at Manila,
has been specially commissioned by the De-
partment OF Agriculture to collect information
and statistics as to the resources etc, of the
Philippines, and with the assistance of such
men as he, and the United States Consuls at
various places, an exhibit could be procured
which would be of great interest to the pub
TIC generally as We'll as to the merchants and
capitalists of this city in showing where trade
relations can be fostered
To that end we request your organization
to Join with us in memorializing Congress to
make this appropriation, and 70 use your indu-
ence to have the various departments at Wash
ington give all the assistance possible in the
way of instructing Consus and detailing men
will not involve any liability on the part of
your organization or the other organizations
that are requesting to assist, and it is the
intention II deemed advisable to request the
participation of the organizations indorsing this
matter in the management Of the fair. The soon
er such exhibits are received In this city the
better 1t Will be for our trade. and wish
to be understood not being in any way in
opposition to the proposed fair of 1901, to be
held in this city. but rather with the inten-
ton of assisting the same and using this fair
as an introduction to the larger fair, in the
same way that the fair held by the Mechanics
Institute in January, 1898, was Introductory to
the California exhibit at the Worlds Fair at
Chicago.
Trusting that you will your influence to
have your organization indorse our proposed
memorial I am, yours respectfully
ERNST A. DENICKE.
President Mechanics Institute.