Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-06-19
eLIIPIA. SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 10, 1915.
THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.

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The average daily influx of passen-
gers into San Francisco by the over
land route. this Sammer, is 425; of
which 800 are of the class known in
steamboat parlance as "deck passen-
gers" These are mostly mechanics
aud farm lsborers from the States in
the Mississippi Valley, in search of
homes and employment. Once they
arrive in San Francisco, the question is
Where shall we go?"
Seyen-tenths of them take the South
ern steamship route for Santa Barbara,
San Buenaventura, San Pedro or San
Diego. The Oregon press seem to in
cline to belief that this is owing to q
desire on the part of Californians to
under-rate the resources and climate of
Oregon and Washington Territory. A
second glance reveals the fact that there
is a stronger and more potent cause
than this. The port of San Diego
is Just about as far from San Fran
cisco as Victoria, while Astoria is no
farther than San Pedro, or Wilmington,
as it is called. Now contrast the fares.
From San Francisco to Victoria, Taco
ma or Seattle, by the Goodall, Nelson
& Perkins line, the fare is $50; and it
is also the same to Astoria by the Hol-
laday line. The Goodall, Nelson & Per-
kins line also own the San Diego line
and have had no opposition there for
months, yet they only charge $1S to
San Diego and SIS to. Wilmington.
Do people need any palmer solution of
the question than this? Is it not pat
emit to everybody that a class of peo-
pie arriving there as utter strangers, in
search of homes, will go where they
can go the cheapest? If there should
be any discrepancy between the two
routes, the northern route should
be the cheapest, because on the south
ern route the steamers have to car
ry coal enough to last them both ways,
while on the northern trip they can
coal OF either end of the route.
The remedy is plain one for our
people to adopt. Shortly the Goodall,
Nelson & Perkins line will lose the mail
contract, which will 60 to an English
company. This will lead to compe-
tition on this northern route and conse-
quently, reduced rate of passage. To
enable this state of affairs to last, our
merchants should encourage the Good
all, Nelson & Perkins line to continue
in this trade, by giving them oil their
freight, instead of shipping by sail
vessels. This is the only way in which
we can hope to compete with California
for share of the immigration now
pouring into San Francisco. We have
better lands and better climate than
Southern California, but we cannot
catch an equal share of the travel I'M
less we offer some substantial induce
ments to the immigrants. The immi.
grant finds himselfina strange land, with
but limited means, and will go where
he can go at the lowest figures. Give
him chance.
While the agricultural lands of South
ern California are of limited area and
inferior quality, the lowlands about the
north of Puget Sound offer. excellent
Inducements to settlers. They are Of
wide extent and can produce hops,
wheat, oats and fax, all valuable pro-
ducts involving no great outlay of CAPT.
tai. What we need is a commissioner
in San Francisco, some one thoroughly
conversant with the resources of oui
Territory. who will guide the immigrants
to homes where they can earn a good
living and build up newer and noblel
civilization.
CAyALcADE.-The ladies OF this place
have revived the old and healthful exer-
else of riding on horseback. On Tues
day about a dozen of the fair sex
appeared on spirited chargers, and af
ter riding through our principal streets,
proceeded to South Bay, where they
ate picnic dinner. They returned
home in the evening much pleased with
their jaunt.
* Since the editor of the Seattle
Dispatch has been appointed Clerk O.
the Court, he has cut off all his Olympus