The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-29
GLAD HE'S A GOPHER
City Treas. Hulbert's Satisfaction
Increased by Visiting California.
PROSPERITY BASED ON TOURISTS
He Thinks This Foundation Preca-
rious as Compared With Min
neapolis Conditions.

II have never come back to Mime
apolis from visit to other sections of
the country more satisfied with my own
home, more impressed with the stability
of it's business conditions, and more con-
fdent of it's great future than this time,
said City Treasurer C. S. Hubert this
morning as he greeted his friends and
fellow officials about the city hall after
three months stay in California.
California" he continued, "is para
disc for tourists and those who live of
tourists, but there are many sad hearts
there among its natives who haven't
means. California is in bad shape com
mercially, and tits great problem with
thousands there to-day to know which
terests that profit through the tourist
business are making money fast. Real
estate in Los Angeles is booming in ex-
traordinary style, but I venture to say
that there is not another industry In the
state save the beet sugar industry, that
is making any profit to-day.
The oil business Is played out. This
titude of the railroads, which make SO
high shipping rate that there Is not
a cent of profit left to the producer. /
was informed in Los Angeles that no oil
was being used for fuel except locally
and on the railroads. The Standard Oil
company has gobbled up the wells whose
product is suited for refining, and the.
railways have secured control OF many
of the others. Naturally the railways are
not going to help raise the price OF fuei
oil by making an outside market for 1T
when they themselves are such big con-
sumers. There was a parallel case IN
Iowa many years ago, when, with thou-
sands of cords of hardwood about them,
people could not ship out a cord OF 1t
on account Of the prohibitive rates. In
those days the railways were great users
of wood and used this means to get 1T for
next to nothing.
'"The much advertised ideal fruit rancn
business is also in a bad way. When the
crop is good the price of fruit is low and
he railways absorb all the profit: And
now water for irrigation purposes is get
| ting scarce and the water companies are
squeezing the ranchers desperately. |
found the fruit growers almost UNIVERSAL lily
discouraged over the conditions in their
business
"The tourist business is in marked
contrast to- all other lines apd it is that
which Is giving the state such surface
signs Of prosperity in spots. Los Angeles
is enjoying wonderful BOOM Dwellings
are going up by, the thousands, almost,
and Office buildings by the score. Real
estate is moving after the style of the late
eighties in Minneapolis, and every other
man you meet is a real estate dealer. l
understand that there are not less than
| 1000 of them in the city. Tourists are oc-
cupying the new dwellings and buying
much of the real estate. And prices!
While I was there some business property
sold at $4,000 per front foot, equal to the
highest price ever reached in Minneapolis,
and Los Angeles only one half our size.
And yet people there insist that the city
has no boom; that the conditions are per-
fectly legitimate and justify such prices
There is going to be a bump there some
OF these days and then l wonder who will
occupy those dwellings and fill those big
Office buildings. l. tell you am satisfied
better with the conditions in Minneapolis
than l ever was before. Minnesota is the
best state in the country and Minneapolis
the best city
incidentally, Mr.. Hubert tells his
friends that he will be candidate for re-
Inomina ton for city treasurer.