The San Francisco call., 1909-12-08
AID PLEDGED
FOR PANAMA
CANAL FIESTA
Plans for Great Celebration
When Big Ditch" Is Opened
Already Under Way
Businessmen Enthusiastically
IndOrse Project at Mer-
chants Exchange Meeting


chants Exchange Meeting
N. II. dc Young. Charles de Young, T.
c. FriedIander. state senator E. l.
Wolfe. Milton Esberg and J. A Filcher.
California's recent commissioner to the
Alaska Yukon Pacific exposition at Sc
attle.
Homer s. King. president of the Pa
cihc ocean exposition company, called
The mass meeting on the floor of the
Merchants exchange to order at $3.50
o'clock. He sketched briefly the pur-
poses Of the organizers of the company
and declared that the idea had not been
dropped, but only allowed to smolder
until a propitious time was reached for
active work. King introduced c. C.
Moore san Francisco's late Portola
festival commissioner, as chairman of
the afternoon.
City's Right TO Big Fair
Moore declared that the Object Of the
meeting was not 10 consider whether
san Francisco should hold a world s
fair, but whether San Francisco should
act upon or renounce the rights to hold
such an exposition secured through its
declaration of intention nearly six
years ago. The meeting, he said, was
more a compliment to the wisdom of
the men who had secured and protected
those rights than a conference to de-
eide whether q fair should be held. He
asserted that Boston was anxious to
hold the Panama exposition, but ac-
knowledged San Francisco's prior right,
though Goubting its ability TO handle
the project within five years.
New Orleans. Galveston, Mobile and
some Of the steady and sturdy little
cities on this coast also want the honor
Of holding the fair" continued Moore,
but no city has the right TO claim il
until our citizens in mass meeting as
sembled decide that San Francisco does
not want IT, The work has been going
on here quietly for a long while, but
what we have TO do is get on or of
pretty quick. We can't be dogs in the
manger. We must decide today, before
we leave this building"
NJ II. de Young, director general of
the midwinter faFr of 1894, discussed
within FIVE months and the great bene-
fits 10 the city that were derived from
it, San Francisco. he said, should rank
with Paris as one Of the great play
cities and amusement centers of the
world, but could only do so by making
great plans for the future, among
which a worlds exposition should
stand pre-eminent at this time
Henry 7. Scott declared that San
Francisco was the logical city for such
an exposition because Of its geographic
and climatic location. its eminence as
the metropolis of the west and the
fact that no other city would receive
such benefits from the opening of the
great s50o,ooo,00o waterway.
Fair as Aid to City
Benjamin F. Schlesinger, assistant
general manager Of the Emporium, who
was one Of the active directors of the
Columbian exposition in 1898, told of
how that fair carried Chicago tri-
umphsnt through a panic year. IT was
that. he said. which gave some of the
greatest Chicago commercial houses
their first impetus and which inaugu-
rated enterprises that are fiourishing
today. San Francisco, he said. was far
ahead Of Chicago in hotel accommoda-
tions and had natural wonders in addi-
ton 20 its fair to entertain its visitors,
while Chicago had nothing except the
fair itself TO attract the people of the
world.
Gavin McNab spoke of the deep con-
cern San Francisco had in the opening
of the canal and compared the great
labor OF digging it with the great work
accomplished in the rebuilding of San
Francisco. R. B. Hale extended the re-
grets Of Governor Gillett that he was
unable to be present at the meeting
and said that he was authorized to say
for the chief executive of the state
that he was heartily in favor of the
san Francisco project. Mayor Taylor
called for the enthusiastic support and
energetic efforts of all San Franciscan
10 make the fair great success. and
asserted that no other city could chal-
lenge san Francisco's right to cele-
brate such q world event in a world
way.
The vote ratifying and confirming the
action Of those who have carried out
the preliminary exposition plans was
taken, resolutions of Endorsement and
greeting from the Rotary club were re-
ceived and the meeting broke UP with
three lusty cheers for the success OF
the Panama Pacific exposition.
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