The San Francisco call., 1909-09-12
FUNDS ARE NEEDED
FOR PORTOLA F[TE.
Finance Committee Must Have
100000 More at Once or
Change Program
State and Metropolis Expected
TO Uphold Their Colleen
Reputation

The finance committee Of the Portola
festival is urgently in need of funds
10 carry on the preparations for the
program which is to be given here for
5ve days in October. These five days
must be fun OF pleasure for the thou
sands of visitors who viii fiock here
from the four corners of the earth.
and the program as planned VIII pe
fullv equal 10 the occasion, with some
thing happening every minute OF the
i've DAYS and nights from October -
10 %. All that is now needed is the
funds to carry out these plans
When the Portola festival was first
planned there was no thought of en-
terfaining the entire world. 1t was
believed that a fitting commemoratlon
OF the rebuilding of the city in three
wears should be arranged-one which
should be a splendid advertisement TO
the people OF the coast, perhaps the
whole of the United States, proclaim
sng the energy AND courage and the
resources OF California and her chief
city II was expected that the display
iadvertIsement would reassure capital
always timida in the soiidity and in
dependence sof san Francisco.
ARoUSES WORLDS INTEREST
When Charles c. Moore, who had
gone abroad TO secure the consent of
foreign governments TO send represeU-
'tatives Of their fleets to take part in
& proposed great international naval
pageant which it was proposed to make
q part Of the celebration. he reported
f7hat his mission had met with such
success that an extension of the pro-
gram would be necessary Thousands
.of people abroad in financial circles
became intensely interested in san
francisco and were amazed at the pho
Geographic evidences of rehabilitation.
Ii was found that San Francisco and
California had been heralded abroad
years d go as "A place of hospitality un-
bounded and unending merriment. The
IRE brought out the sympathetic in
terest Of the entire world
The rebuilding WAS a modern miracle
10 the people abroad. and they could
scarcely believe the Photographic proof
of il. The active interest of the en-
tire world was aroused and it was
then seen that a worthy program
would have TO be prepared. Plans
were LAID out on an elaborate scale,
50 that when the expected crowds ar
rived they would not be disappointed.
Since that time the interest in the
celebration has grown. both at home
and abroad and the Portola festival
promises to be the biggest affair of
its kind that the world has ever know n.
and certainly the biggest advertise
ment that any community ever had.
The plans have been perfected as TO
details and if carried out viii be ade-
quste in every sense TO uphold the
enTiable reputation Of the city and
state.
MONEY NEEDED AT ONCE
The first call for funds made by the
finance committee Of the Portola fes-
tiVal met with a generous and spon-
taneous response in many quarters Il
needed only the word for many firms
and individuals to come forward with
their checks. From the appearance OF
the first food of checks it looked as
though the 100000 necessary to CON-
olete the plans in full measure would
30 forthcoming at once The prelinl-
mary opera tions in all branches were
commenced.
In the weeks that have passed since
that time the contributions have fallen
sf- and for many reasons unknown to
The finance committee the checks have
been withheld. There has been a ten
aency TO wait until the last moment
% see what others had contributed.
or TO see what would be absolutely
Necessary to give in order to have the
celebration made barely possible The
intend to subscribe to the fund which
s 10 make the celebration at all worthy
n the Importance which it has as
sumed throughout the world must do
50 AT ONCE.
The plans have reached the stage
where money must be spent to carry
them to completion. If the money
eannot be raised il will be necessary
TO modify the plans. 1t is hoped by
sll loyal Californians and San Fran.
ciscans that the latter course will not
lie necessary.
UPHOLD GOLDEN REPUTATION
In order that the golden reputation
Of California may be maintained
throughout the world all loyal Cali
fornians must come forward with nan
cial aid Immediately.
Millions viii be annually brought
into the state by the Portola festival
and millions more will be invested fol
the development of the states resources
TO the financial benefit of every citizen
The holding back of a few thousands
Of dollars viii mean the retarding OF
The growth of the state and the cit,
for years uncountable-part rticularly il
the festival is a failure. The spending
( of dollar now will mean the harvest
ing of hundreds of dollars in years tc
! come and a substantial return in the
immediate future.
Five million dollars were left in Los
angeles by the recent Elks' conven-
tion. The Portola festival should bring
many times this sum of ready casf
into the city and state. Six hundred
thousand dollars was raised in Seattle
in one day for the Alaska Yukon ex.
position.
The Portola festival needs to rails,
in the metropolis of the west the larg,
est and most prosperous city th'
sum Of 100000
Is the pride and good name of tn,
city and state worth this sum, to say
nothing of the immediate financial re
turns from it considered as an invest
ment2