The San Francisco call., 1904-02-15
Co. operation Affords a
Reason for Bright
Forecasts.
Prosperity Depends Upon
Wise Course of the
Present.
BY L. B. McMAHILL, Secretary San
Jose Chamber OF Commerce.

One of San Jose's greatest aid most
pressing needs is additional interurban
electric transportation lines. The coun-
try about this city is growing in dens-
ity of population very fast, and al
though there are now two interurban
lines in operation and third soon to
be built. the Berryessa section of our
valley. only distant a few miles from
the center of this city. is in need of
such service and especially in the hea-
West fruit season, when hundreds of
workers go to and fro from this city to
the orchards and canneries of that part
Of the valley.
The evergreen section is in the same
condition Campbell. Mountain View,
Milpitas, Agnews. Morgan Hill and
Gilroy are all sections which would
support such transportation lines well
enough TO now more than pay expenses
and within the next two years pay
handsome dividends on the investment
An electric road to Mount Hamilton
and the Lick Observatory would GER
tainly cost far less than the line to
Mount Lowe, in Southern California,
did. and the thousands of tourists who
now &C there annually by stage would
be ouadrupled could the trip be made
on an electric line.
SUBURBAN DISTRICTS.
Another present and fast growing
need of this city is the taking in of its
suburban districts. which are so close
to it's very center as to restrict the city
limits far within what they should be,
considering the possible gain in popu-
lation by adding these districts. The
move to accomplish this needed i'm
provement has already taken form un-
der the direction of the Chamber of
Commerce and promises to be success
fully carried out.
This city needs to take on more in
debtedness in the way of bond issues
to provide money for the betterment
of its streets, sidewalks, sewers, fire
system, parks and all such other things
as go to make the truly metropolitan
and progressive city of this day and
age The splendid city reservation,
Alum Rock Park, will bear the expen-
diture of many thousands of dollars
and every dollar so expended will come
back to the tax payers of this city in
increased values of property and the
building of beautiful homes and in
crease of population of the better char
acter.
There is no man in San Jose doing
any business worth mention who is not
in debt many times in proportion to
what the city is-not without assets
of ample and safe character, to be sure,
but not as great by far as could this
city offer to its bond purchasers. The
Incentives to successful management
and endeavor in these days of high
pressure in business and municipal life
are obligations TO be met which must
be met. and the city, progressive and
awake is like the business man of the
same stamp. ready to assume that the
future may bring greatness
The city of San Jose needs also to
add to it's present park system, for,
growing as she is, too many fresh air
outlets cannot be provided to safeguard
the health and pleasure of those who
are to come. The excursion of our
''3OO' to Los Angeles taught many the
lesson of prcgressiveness and it's power
in CITY building and country building;
there these citizens were told what they
nossessed in their Alum Rock Park. >
what il could be made and what the
people of the southland thought of 1T
and would give in exchange for it
could they have il near to Los Angeles.
CLUBS ARE AT WORK.
The various ward Improvement clubs