The San Francisco call., 1910-06-08
need FOR ACTIVITY
URGED AT BANQUET
Speakers Point Road to Greater
Prosperity for City and
All Its People
Continued from page 3, Column

Continued from Page 3, Column
they would Immediately flock TO the
man who made the lowest rate, ire
spective OF what the future might have
in store for them.
In my judgment IL would be much
wiser to encourage the present line TO
give US better service and more ire
ouent sailings.
There was time when we could af-
fOrd to be independent about this Mex
lean and Central American trade be-
cause this was the only port these
countries could look 10 Tor their sup
plies and for a market for their pro-
duction. This is not the case now, as
they have direct rail communication
with New Orleans. Chicago and Kan
sas City and could easily get all their
supplies at these points
CANAL MAY BENEFIT OTHERS
Are we never going to learn any
thing? We have kept on theorizing
about our oversee trade until we have
reduced our fleet TO nine ships, carry
4 ing a little more than Z per cent of our
import and export trade, instead of
tue 81 per cent we once carried in ships
living the American nag, and If the
bills now before congress become laws
we viii lose the nine we now have in
side of three months and we will then
see this great nation without a single
ship in the oversee trade, and a canal
which we have built at the expense of
$500, 100000 for the benefit Of the other
fellows.
This city has the proud distinction
Of being the most expensive port in the
world and with less facilities for hand
ling freight in comparison to its size
IMAM any other on the lace or the globe
To be perfectly frank, our policy
seems 10 be both In legislation and
actual practice TO do everything we
possibly can, short Of condemnation, to
make the operation Of the ship as diff
ncult as possible, and if we have no
ships how can we have any commerce. ?
We are willing to pay s1.30 a head
1or every man, woman and child in the
United States TO build up the United
states navy 10 protect our commerce.
which could not come 10 our defense
II needed were we not able to charter
foreign colliers, and this we could not
do In time OF war.
BETTER FACILITIES NEEDED
We want better wharves and ter
mlnal facilities. Do you know that if
SIX SIX steamers came IN this harbor today
they could not all be berthed in 48
hours by reason of the fact that we
have not sufficient wharVes with which
10 take care of them? In fact, there is
only one public wharf in San Fran
cisco today which has railroad. facili-
ties There are only five other WharVes
so equipped and these are under lease
10 private companies, and three were
built by private capital, while Seattle
has 32 piers. with track facilities. at
which they charge no dockage.
We are going 10 be asked to vote on
q bond issue Of $4,000, 900 this fall to
allow for improvements to the harbor
OF san Francisco and in order that you
may all understand just what this
means / want TO outline the idea to
you very briefly.
You are not asked to pay out one
dollar, but you are asked TO give your
consent that the credit of the state NAV
be behind these bonds and so make
them marketable, and at the same time
your own appointees are the men who
nave the fixing OF the charges to be
laid on shipping TO see that these in
terests and funding debt charges are
taken care of.
LACK OF OVERSEE FLEET
We have practically no oversee feet
owned IN America We have on the
Pacihc ocean today six ships engaged
IN the oversee trade and three on the
Atlantic, making a total Of nine, while
our principal competitors have as fol-
lows: England, 1859; Germany, 2,178,
Norway 2,l4S; France, I5l7; Japan,
It is a rule that commerce follows
the flag and this Is proven by the ex-
perience Of our own and other nations
When we had the means of communi-
cation between Alaska. and San Fran
cisco we were doing the greater part
Of the $4,000, 600 of trade between that
country and the rest of the Pacific
coast; now we are doing less than one
million.
When the Oceanic steamers were
running between here and Australia
we were doing a. trade of more than
$lo000,00O a year from this city with
those countries; now we are doing
As matter Of fact, the American
snip IN the oversee trade is the very
best solicitor and representative a mer-
chant Of san Francisco can have.
HOW TO INCREASE TRADE
If you would increase the foreign
trade Of San Francisco there are five
thIngs tor you 10 DO;
Eirst-Find out what your customer
wants, then see that he gets It. and
see that every package which goes
abroad carries label which shall show
These goods were made in California;
Second-Get In as close personal
touch as you possibly can with the men
you expect TO do business with.
Ihiro-See that your goods are eX-
actly as they are represented to be-
FOurth-Increase the facilities for
handling carRoes both Al to dock space
and the speed with which they may be
handled. and lower the high port
charges which the ship now must bear.
Eifth-That San Francisco has the
means OF communication with the diff
ierent parts Of the world. There is not
an American ship interested in get
ting a return cargo for San Francisco
IN which you could go to South Amer
lea, Africa, Australia or India today.
To bring this point home to you.
wnat would you think Of the business
judgment of Dernham, who as man
sger Of the Emporium, should he EN-
plOy the delivery wagons attached TO
the store Of Hale Brothers with which
70 make the deliveries TO his custom
ers?
Does it seem like sound business
Judgment for US to be in this position
II we are going TO try to make San
francisco one OF the leading maritime
pores OF the world, which by her geo
graphical position she most certainly
should and could be2