The San Francisco call., 1910-12-09
ADVANTAGES OF
ACONSOLIDATED
CITY NO TED
Banquet Board Rings With
Cheers as Speakers Point
Out Good to Accrue
Reduction in Tax Rates and
Other Gains Are Told in
Convincing Speeches

The future san Francisco - the
greater city that is TO be-was toasted
last night by the Merchants associa-
tion, gathered $50 strong at the annual
banquet Of the organization in the
Norman grill Of the Fairmont hotel
The memory OF many Of those agth-
cred last night at the banquet board
runs 10 another banquet Of four years
ana half ago. On that night the
Merchants association had its annual
dinner Of the year 1906. on that
night the toast that was drunk and
the toasts that were spoken from the
hearts that were fun were directed to
q topic almost identical with the theme
OF last night The subject then was.
ihe New San Francisco-the City
That Is TO Be"
That banquet of four and half wears
ago was one that viii i've in the city's
history The tables were laid in the
blackened, barren, smoke stained ruins
of what had ben the white and gold
room Of the St Francis hotel. The men
at that banquet appeared in ordinary
day attire, for evening dress was not
10 be had. many of the diners walked
for a score or more of blocks through
The ruins Of a stricken city; that dinner
was held in the midst of desolation-
in the very heart Of a metropolis laid
waste.
AGAIN THE TOAST Is REPEATED
Almost 500 men gathered that night
Tor the banquet held in the district that
three months before had been wiped
out by flames, and the toast of the 300
was to The New San Francisco-the
city that is TO be" Last night those
same SOC, and more than as many
again, gathered in the banquet hall of
the Fairmont in the very center of the
city that has been restored, and drank
again the health OF San Francisco.
There was this difference last night:
The toast that prevailed was not a
toast TO the city that is to be-" but a
toast TO the city that is and to a
greater san Francisco to come" -Four
years and a half ago the spirit that
stirred the members Of the Merchants
association was embodied in a vision
- a new city 10 arise from the ashes
II the one that had gone. Last night
the vision was broader. It was di
rected TO a city that shall spread in
every direction about the shores of
san Francisco bay; q city busting with
q new commerce brought to its gates
by way Of the Panama canal; a city of
q million Inhabitants bound together
by a single tie Of civic pride; city
standing in the front rank Of the cities
of the world
WANT ONE AND 4 GREATER CITY
Consolidation Of the various munich
palities about the shores of San Fran
cisco bay was the subject TO which all
the speakers Of last night directed
their remarks. The old phrase, the
bay cities" was not spoken once last
night, except as a phrase of identifica-
tion. In its place was a new phrase
OF more magnificent ggestion-''the
boroughs of greater San Francisco"
In every aspect. the proposed consoli-
dation Of San Francisco and its penin-
sular and transbay neighbOrs into a
single great municipality was dwelt
upon, and the enthusiasm that was
given the proposed project was tre-
HendOus.
VOICE a NEW DREAM
The men who four years and a half
ago dared voice the dream Of a re-
stored San Francisco, and largely
through whose efforts that dream has
become a wonderful reality, voiced an
other and greater dream last night
They spoke Of it with the same indom-
liable spirit Of accomplishment, the
same serene certainty Of attainment.
They went at il, too, in a businesslike
manner. Even the envelopes in which
the cigars were served at the banquet
We're covered with a printed collection
II facts and figures taken from the
-ecent census returns. They showed
The population OF San Francisco today,
with its 416,912 persons, and a table of
the metropolitan population of the
cities and towns that would be included
in the proposed scheme Of consolida-
tion-a combined population of 677.-
648-the potential nucleus Of a city Of
million people.
CANAL PICTURES SHOWN
In the enthusiasm over the projet Of
consolidation itself the causes of San
FranciscO's growth were not forgotten
nor were the contributing factors of
future greatness overlooked. The com
mercial aspect Of the situation was
gone into in detail and the various ele-
ments that must be reckoned with in
the years TO come were discussed at
length.
An object lesson of a forceful nature
was given in the presentation of a fine
set Of moving pictures showing the
work upon the Panama canal. The
canal itself and the benefits which II
viii bring to San Francisco were made
the subject Of an interesting address
by Seth Mann, counsel for the traffic
bureau OF the merchants exchange.
The Panama Pacific international ex-
position was referred to by every
speaker.
At the close Of the address by Seth
Mann on THE Benefits to Our City
Following the Opening OF the Panama
Canal Charles ~. Hornick called at
tention to the loyal work for San Fran
cisco being done by the exposition dele
cation in Washington, and upon his
motion. carried by a unanimous rising
vote. President NJ. H. Robins Jr of the
Merchants association was instructed
TO forward q telegram to the Wash
ington party expressing the confidence
and encouragement of those at the ban
ouet.
A, Robins opened the banquet with an
e ef61uent appeal for unanimous effort in
th4 upbuiIding Of the greater city. He
decI AIRED that the time had come for
a new image to be set up and for new
ideals TO direct the energies Of all who
have at heart the best interests of