The San Francisco call., 1910-03-13

ures as to the cost of production of
Vision, IL I mistake not, you viii see
My reply was by having a commission
of able. honest men, whose business 1T
was to visit the works abroad and
obtain reliable data. Now such a
commission has been provided, and
when next the tariff is under super
vision, IL | istake not, you Will see
that the committee has a mass OF cor
rect figures enabling it to take wise
action-a great step in advance The
truth is that owing to our immense
home market and the mechanical in-
genuity of our people there viii soon
be no difficulty In producing articles
of general consumption at costs Whlcn
will render duties. except perhaps in
few exceptional cases, altogether
unnecessary, and in every revision OF
the tariff hereafter we shall be freer
TO disregard more and more the pro-
tective feature as no longer needed,
vital as 1t was at the first to- encour-
age capital to enter upon competition
with the lower costs OF labor and the
finely organized works of older coun-
tries. So much for the tariff, a ques-
tion which will grow less and less
important as protective measure,
but continue. in my opinion. TO be or
increasing Importance as a source of
revenue. obtainable by the least pos
sible pressure upon the general COM
munity. especially the working
classes.
Gentlemen. one from the east can
not but be struck by the activity pre-
vailing here. Your city is destined to
show great strides in the next census.
that which is to follow. All goes Well
upon the Pacific coast, Not only by
your material prosperity have | been
struck, but also by the care that IS
being given to higher things. Not
only are your public schools zealously
conducted, but industrial schools. uni
yersities and public Libraries abound;
Youth has every facility offered, and
there seems to be throughout that
passion for education with which the
Scotch are credited. You are engaged
civilization to come. Happy are you
In your conditions ands in your nat
ural resources. and especially in your
climate, and we'll you are playing
your part. 1t may be questioned
whether there be a population exist
ing anywhere in which the standard
of comfort and education is higher
want is greater than in this land in
which your lot is happily cast. We
can scarcely believe that the Cali
fornia of today is that which we,read
about only half century ago. 1T Is
not much longer than that since your
predecessors were organizing vigil
lance committees, and law and order
thai you show us today the stately
structure of civilization steadily aris-
ing.
when in my. youth I published "Tri-
copy as young author to my friend.
George William Curtis. / received in
reply a courteous note, but he said
the book reminded him OF his friend
who left with the band OF forty-nin4
ers for Caiifornia-his letters con-
tanned nothing but ecstatic comments
upon the sunshine. sunshine. sunshine
all was sunshine. He wrote his
sunny friend this was all well enough:
but what of the shadows? ] replied
to the sage that Triumphant Democ-
racy" was written at high noon, when
the sun cast none.
So with California. / find myself
somewhat in the same condition as
Mr.. Curtis correspondent. SO much
sunshine: so few Shadowsi
Continued success, gentlemen, TO
the land washed by the Pacificl May
it's future fulfill your most sanguine
expectations 1 shall leave your coast
a confirmed optimist as to your des-
tiny!