Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-11
PACIFIC COAST.
THE RESIGNATION OF SUPERIOR
JUDGE SULLIVAN.
A Carson Woman Horsewhips Ca
nadian-Boy Shot in Tucson-Re-
duction in Railroad Fare.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE RpooRDus1os.l
SENATORIAL INVESTIGATIONS.
Merchants Testify on the Trade Relations
of British Columbia,

of British Columbia.
SAN Francisco. May 10th.-The Senate
Committee continued their investigations
this morning into the general relations of
this coast with Canada. General Vandever
extended an invitation to the committee TO
visit Los Angeles, which Senator Hoar will
probably accept.
William G. Lynde. a wholesale fish
dealer, said that be carried on the business
OF codfishing for the last twenty-three
years in Alaska. For the last fifteen years
his firm had landed over 800 tons of cod
fish every year. The cod banks on this
coast are extensive, but scattered. They
had been most successful in the southern
part of the Aleutian Islands. At this point
Mr.. Lynde gave way to Mr.. E. NJ. Herrick.
whom the committee had promised to hear
first.
OUR LUMBER INTERESTS.
Edward NJ. Herrick, representing the
Pacific Pine and Lumber Company then
testified. He said that the principal lum-
Der produced in California was redwood.
which is species OF cedar. The lumber
production of Washington Territory. north
i. OF Columbia river, was Loo, ,OOO. 600 feet.
The local consumption amounted to 45O.-
100000 feet. This left $50 100000 feet to
md market by way of the Pacific ocean.
There were at least 0,000,0O feet of lum-
Der to-day in that part of the United States
Tor which no market could be found. The
mills had shut down now so that the mills
only are kept running seventeen DAYS q
month. Lumber is being sold day by
the cargo at cost. The retail price of lum-
Der is now SIS, the cargo price being $14
There is no agricultural land west of the
Cascade mountains. The whole of that
district is composed of coal and lumber
The capacity of the millsin British Column
bia amounts to 200,000000 feet. Their
market is wholly foreign, the local market
being insignificant.
AT THE EXPENSE OF LABOR.
There can be no further reduction in The
price of lumber on this coast, except at the
expense of the laborer These laborers
were desirable element in the commu-
nlty. being more nearly akin to the yeo-
men OF the past than any other class of
men. They were very different to the men
employed in the lumber mills of Michigan.
The British Columbia manufacturer could
sell lumber ct S14 in this market and make
profit. This was due to the paternal ten
denotes of the Dominion Government.
There timber lands averaged the manu-
facturer 50 per acre. Here the average
price was from Si2 to $40.
THE AMERICAN MARKET.
British Columbia could increase their ca.
pacity TO supply the American market
The three factors in favor of the British
Columbia manufacturer were l. Cheaper
lands. 3 Cheaper labor, there not being
so strong a sentiment against the Chinese
as here. 8. The leasing of lands bv the
Dominion Government. 4. A possibly
lower freight
Il do not think that any represent alive
iumberman on the American portion of
this coast has gone into the business in
British Columbia. If the barrier against
British Columbia was thrown down, the
American lumberman would have to go
out OF the business, unless a phenomenal
state of things existed which prevented
British Columbia from supplying the de-
mand. So far there had been no lumber
shipped here, except during the San Diego
boom.'
NO MARKET FOR THE SURPLUS.
In answer to questions put to him by
Senator Puch, he said: "We have full
control of the American market, yet there
is surplus of $50, GOO 600 feet | see no
way out of it except by forming a combina-
ton among American mill owners No
appreciate amount of our surplus is being
shipped to Australia because we can not
compete with British Columbia Home
competition keeps the price of lumber
down to cost. Since October 18th lumber
had been sold from 81 TO 50 less than cost"
sALMoN-PAcxING.
Z. B. Beck, a Wholesale salmon packer
and fruit-canner, was then called Last
year his firm had packed about 100000
cases. Six hundred thousand cases were
shipped last year from this coast to the
Eastern States, and 400 600 to foreign ports.
He did not think there wowd be anv par
ticular advantage in reciprocity with Brit
ish Columbia, for the people there did not
hnd hotne msrket for their own packed
goods. British Columbia has no large
towns. The trouble with Alaska is that it
has great many rivers, but very few ports.
Fruit canneries have been starred in Onta-
rio and other cities of Eastern Canada. A
great deal of fruit is being turned out there.
and our market has been practically cut off
in that quarter. The duty on fruit IN Aus
tralia Is almost prohibitory.
GOLDFISH BANK.
w. C. Lynde was then called upon to
continue bis evidence. He said that their
market was local. They had sent some
fish TO Australia, but it had not paid very
well. II il were not for the competition of
the Eastern fish they would do very well.
There are as many Goldfish on the North
Pacific as there are on the North Atlantic
Goldfish and salmon were the chief fish of
the North Pacific. There was a great deal
of halibut, but the people on this coast had
never taken kindly to it, and bis firm had
lost several thousand dollars in handling
il. There was no very great fsh-eating
community on this coast The salmon
fisheries question in Alaska was still
an open one Lawyers, doctors and q
whole host of inexperienced men had gone
into the business, and he thought they
would be very much disappointed at the
results. The cause of this was not merely
their inexperience, but because they would
not meet with the runs which they ex-
pected. Seventy-five vessels were probably
engaged in the salmon business on this
coast.
George Tasheira, manager OF the Goldfish
Trading Company, was next asked few
questions. In reply he said that the COM
pensation of the men employed by his firm
depended entirely upon the CATCH The
outfit was provided entirely by the owners.
The salmon fisheries of Alaska he thought
had largely become speculative enterprises.
During the last five or six years he had
made nothing in his business.