The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-20
CLOSES A YEAR
OF GOOD WORK
Merchants Exchange Holds
Its Annual Banquet and
Marks Another Big Stride
CITY'S PROGRESS, GREAT
Mayor Mott Makes Address
and Bespeaks the Zeal of
Citizens for Upbuilding

OAKLAND, May 1s-The Merchants
Exchange tonight celebrated the close of
another successful year of work for the
Improvement of Oakland and Alameda
County. TIE annual banquet, which was
held at Ebell Hall, was attended by 400
members Of the exchange and invited
guests. A. Fl. Schlueter. the newly
elected president welcomed the guests
with an interesting address and intro
duced the POSTMASTER, George w. Arper.
Retiring President A. Jonas was next
introduced and made his final address as
president of the exchange. How Can
the Commercial Organizations of Alameda
county Best Aid the National Represent
atives?" was the subject of an eloquent
address by Congressman Joseph R.
Knowland
Mayor Frank K. Mott responded to the
toast, Municipal Progress" After con-
graduating the directors and members
or the exchange on the progress of the
year, he said:
MAYOR MOTIFS ADDRESS.
Mr.. Toastmaster and Gentlemen: Half a
century ago before the last of the Spanish
landed H, domain on the shores OF San Fran
cisco Bay the village of Oakland was born
IRON that hamlet nesting among the beau
tiful trees and clustering along the shores OF
magnificent harbor has sprung city. a
city in name a city in fact
You nave invited me as Mayor of Oakland
to respond to the toast The City Of Oak
Iapd. can offer. 1t seems to me, no more
appropriate sentiment in reply than that OF
Gentlemen of the Merchants Exchange it
Is In your power to stimulate this new move
has cast aside pettiness. littleness and pro-
vlncialism. She has reached the metropolitan
stage and she needs your best effort on broad
lines of policy. Our city is the mecca to-day
of great enterprises. From the East ire
mendous movement Is in progress toward our
has become the terminus of second trans
continental railroad and third road OF steel
Is rapidly moving toward the city.
You know what has been accomplished in
the way of improved ferry service and you
also know that the older systems have an
along progressive lines. Population Is flock
ing in at rate we scarcely realize and every
newcomer means direct gain to you gentle
men of the Merchants Exchange.
AS | understand the purposes of your or
ganization you are banded together to help
in the work of municipal petterment par
ticularly the improvement of conditions affect
ing mercantile interests. As Mayor. as mer-
port. You have shown that the slogan OF
We can ali find plenty to Do and by doing
alive the pride in civic affairs that means
prosperity. progress and development. To
your organization We look for support. for
in the procession which will go forward to
make Oakland in the eyes of the State and
of the nation of the most favored cities
in the American republic.
The POSTMASTER called on the Hon.
George L. Dobson, the United States
Consul of Hangchow, China, the subject
of whose address was Our Commercial
Relations With the Orient"
The other speakers and their subjects
were: The Rev. DR.. George Sweeney,
Municipal Development" A. r. Briggs,
manager of the State Board of Trade,
1.-The State Board of Trade; H. C. Cap
we'll, president of the Oakland Board of
Trade; George L. Fish, the first president
of the exchange, and Secretary Wilbur
Walker