The San Francisco call., 1899-03-20
Promoters Of the Great Enterprise
Confident the Governor Will
SigD 1t.
ChoirnoD ReinsteD PoiDts Out the Slight
Foundation for the Opposition to
the Exposition.

I sired to show by this exposition, not alone
at the time of holding it but for all tu-
ture time, by a permanent museum Wmch
is to be established as a result OF II; the
products, natural and manufactured, OF
California and the islands and shores or
the Pacific Ocean.
This is a serious and strictly business
enterprise, and the aid of the people OF
this State is sought solely on pure DuSl-
ness principles. The persons who Will be
-, interested are expected to learn the op-
portunities for the interchange OF the
products of their respective countries.
San Francisco is fixed as the place for
the holding of such an exposition because
it affords the best opportunity and is the
best situated to give such an OBJECT les
son.
bers Of people outside of our State Will
not come to this exposition, but II none
of such persons come the State OF Cali
eornia and the city of San Francisco VIII
reap an ample return for the money eX-
pended in better and more accurate and
more comprehensive knowledge of their
own resources and the resources of those
countries which will exhibit their prod
ucts here, thus enabling those engaged in
business enterprises in such countries to
better understand :heir respective needs
and wants. But the exposition projectors
maintain that it is necessary for the
State of California and the city of San
Francisco to establish in the eyes of the
world, II for no other purpose, simply for
their prestige, the natural resources of
the State and the splendid position of San
Francisco as great harbor for foreign
"It has been also suggested that we
should spend a smaller amount of money
and give a display. of our products at the
expositions to be held at Toledo, Buffalo
and ST. Louis. We feel this would be a
grave mistake, and that we are infinitely
more likely to be benefited by holding
an exposition in the city of San Francisco
of the products showing the possibilities
of the commerce of the Pacific Ocean than
by any display of the products of each
f0f in fhn R4f of hn OGT hFNg n
we think, by any means, that more people
would see and be impressed by such
small display in the cities of the East
than would result from a great exposition
in the city of San Francisco.
THE matter of the cost of holding the
exposition contemplated has been grossly
exaggerated. Such cost will not be great
er than the amount already guaranteed
by the State and this city and promised
by the national Government. which is
S,50O 900. While a larger amount will be
expended this extra amount, over and
above the million and a half. will be
paid almost entirely out of the conces-
and every dollar which will be paid by
the citizens of this State for the estab-
lishment of the exposition will result in
the education OF our people to a larger
and fuller appreciation and a better
grounded and more general belief in the
future greatness of the State and city.
"'Of the $250,OO0 which has been appro-
priated by the Legislature of the State
one-third will be paid by the city of San
Francisco, leaving about 600 to be
contributed to this exposition by the
State outside the city of San Francisco
The total tax levy for the next two years
is something over $4,000, ,000 and the total
amount to be contributed by the country
$780, ,O00-is, therefore, not much more
than l per cent of the amount of the en-
tire tax levy. With the $3.50 900 San
Francisco will contribute separately to
the enterprise, she will be giving $40 900
to the country'S $160 900, or in the propor-
ton to s. 25 to the country's 81.
THE average assessed value per capita
of property to persons in the country will
probably not exceed $4,000, and each per-
sons share of the tax to maintain this
exposition would not exceed A cents, pay
able in two annual installments.
London is to England, Berlin to Ger
many, Vienna to Austria and Paris to
France, what San Francisco is to Califor-
MIA No matter what criticism of San
Francisco's right to the exposition may
have been INDUCED in. and even perhaps
justly: the fact remains that the metrop-
oils Of a country ana the country at large
have mutual interests and must stand
or fall together"