The San Francisco call., 1909-11-04
Railroad Had TO Send Empty
Cars to Bring Visitors to
POrtOIa Festival
Cost of Advertising Excursions
Charged as Subscription
to City's Expense
Convention League Secures
Promise of Liberal Con-
tributiOns for Future

Al1U1liOAlS lOl ululS
~HE failure of the Southern Pacific
so contribute TO the Portola fund
has been explained. It is all due
Ga she empty cars that had to be
*sen2 out SO get 1he crowds. This is
she Official. duly authorized and simple
reason graciously offered to a stupid
0ublio that couldn't understand. 1t was
z2oiced yesterday by Charles s Fee. the
general srafic manager.
Because the crowds ceuldn't travel
both ways az the same time the South
ern Pacific couldn't afford tc nelp the
festival The mere fact that it made
s2oQ.OOe extra during the week is OBJ
yiously discounted by the certainty tnat
It would have made more if it had not
been for the empty cars.
Apparently only double fiesta VIII
satisfy the railroad-one In Los An
seIes and one here at the same time.
the southerners coming north and the
San Franciscans forsaking their own
city Cor The south. Then. and only then.
VIII there be no empty ears.
More Excuses Offered
But Fee had more excuses Of the same
sort He told them all yesterday TO
al luncheon at the St Francis hotel.
The company had to advertise its ex-
cursi6Rs. That cost $4,000 said Fee.
The public should consider that sub
pcription to the fund. For whom but
'tle public was it expended2 Then the
t9ortoEa committee. said Fee. got 81. 500
worth of travelling and the company
thinks it should be grateful for that.
Then again the company has another
grievance. 1t brought hundreds Of
thousands from the hay sections and
couldn't get more than 10 cents apiece
FROM Them. The sight Of that unend-
9ng throng jingling its ready coin and
onlS 10 cents a passenger was for
beaTance for. which a wide measure of
credit is demanded.
. Promises for Future
The low fares from close by and the
: empty cars sent afar to gather the
multitude. thought Fee, should make
the company rather an object of COM
miseration. It was Dngenerous Of the
committee to have expected money.
With apologies for the past, Fee
brought in promises for the future.
The western. railroads. he declared, were
prepared TO cooperate with the con-
vention league to bring the big gather
ings TO san Francisco. They had de-
cided, ne said. to instruct their agents
10 work for San Francisco to offset the
efforts Of the Atlantic seaboard lines,
which are seeking these conventions for
eastern cities
EiberaIity Is Deferred
Sdn more definite was Fee in his
promises Speaking authoritatively for
the Southern Pacific, the Santa Fe and
the Western Pacific. he announced that
they were prepared TO contribute lib
orally TO aid the convention league.
ola fund next year he declared.
The league, which rs drawn from the
VARIOUS commercial bodies. took the
final step in its organization yesterday
Al The st. Francis. when its directors
authorized Kirk Harris. the chairman;
". B. Pringle. representing the real
estate board. and ". II. Leahy OF the
theatrical managers association to file
articles OF Incorporation
Big Meetings Promised
The league. which is not related to
the convention hall committee, has a
number Of big meetings promised even
st this early stage of its organization.
The California teachers, with 5000
members. are due here during the
Christmas holidays. In the summer the
national lumbermen's association and
the Hoo Hoos are coming, as well as
the National Education association with
its $4,000 delegates. The state drug
gists and the spiritaaIists' conventions
are also scheduled. The spiritualists
will draw an attendance OF 5000. The
osteopaths and the Sunday school teach
ers are scheduled for 1911
The league is composed Of the follow
ing directors: Arthur r. Briggs of the
state board of trade. James Woods of
the hotel managers. Max eRosenfeld of
the auto dealers, r. s Atkins of the
Merchants association, J. A. Hieronmus
OF the Brewers association. William L.
Gerstle Of the chamber of commerce,
J. W. McEyers of the Retail Grocers'
association. Kirk Harris. W. B. Pringle.
r. C. Friedlander Of the merchants ex-
: change. Melville Marx and w. II. Leahy
n the Theatrical Managers association,
H. II. Sherwood OF the board of trade,
f. T. Naples secretary. There was
present yesterday also F. w Dohrmann
OF the advisory board.