The San Francisco call., 1908-10-25

the matchless sugar pine, redwood and
other valuable timbers will be dfStrib-
uted to the best markets of the world.
Returning great cargoes of anthracite
and bituminous coal, iron, steel and
merchandise of every character will be
delivered to California to augment the
great upbuilding that will surely re-
suit from the inauguration of the new
era of prosperity. predicated upon the
opening of this great and indispensable
connection of the two vast oceans. the
Panama canal. The development of
California during the past SO years will
be as nothing compared to the growth
to follow the completion of this canal.
DECREASE TRANSPORTATION
Prof. Carl c. Plehn of the University
of CaIifornia-The opening of the
Panama canal will make it possible for
California wheat and barley to again
compete with grain grown in other por-
tionS of the world. One of the main
reasons for the decline of California s
export of wheat has been the high cost
OF transportation to the markets OF the
world as compared with other wheat
producing countries 1t will also
cheaper the cost of marketing our dried
and canned fruits, nuts. wine, olives
and citrus fruits. With proper ar
rangements for refrigeration most va
rieties of green fruits can be success
fully shipped by water, and by way of
the Panama canal can reach the mar
kets more cheaply than at present. On
the other hand, California will gain
greatly by being able to import more
cheaply. The iron of the gulf states
can be brought here via the canal and
that will make possible many manu-
factures which are not now profitable.
With an abundance of the fuel oil and
the possibility of getting iron cheaply
we shall be saved the present enormous
expense of importing heavy. finished
iron products. At the same time a re-
duction in the expense of importing
manufactured articles not made on the
coast will be a saving of no small inn
portance. While San Francisco will be
slightly off the shortest routes be-
tween the Atlantic and Asiatic ports
via the canal, she will still be inevi-
tably a port of call. Not only will
practically all vessels on these routes
and for orders, but they will stop to
leave and take on freight and for re-
pairs. The profits and 'droppings' of
such traffic are very considerable, as is
port of call, a city of office buildings.
which, without a single warehouse of
any account and with noNindustry of
Importance except its shipyards. sup
ports population of more than 100000
souls.
SUPPLY STEAMERS
WITH OIL FUEL
ZOeth 9. EIdredge, president of the
National Bank of the Pacific am
. asked what advantage will accrue to
AdlllOInld llTOQ6 liic COHip1t OI
the Panama canal. / will refer to one
California product that will certainly
have wider market. 1t is known that
California leads all other states in the
union in the production of mineral oils.
1t is not generally known that in the
Judgment of experts California is
capable of producing more oil than all
other fields of the United States com.
bined Be that as it may, California
produced in 1907 37.650.000 barrels OF
OIL and the industry has but begun.
With the opening of the Panama canal
the commerce between the orient and
Europe will be carried through the
canal on oil burning steamers, and
where can this convenient and econom-
ical fuel be so easily and cheaply OBJ
tanned as in California. lying as she
does on the great highway between
Panama and Yokohama? The shortest
sailing route between Panama and the