The morning call., 1890-07-18
MORE srEAMEEs ON THE PACIFIC.

1t looks as though steamships were going
to be good property on this Coast. We
noticed the other day that the Canadian
Pacific proposed TO run their ships from
Hong-Kong to San Francisco, touching at
Vancouver as q way station 1t is now
stated that the Pacific Mail and the Oriental
and Occidental companies will retaliate by
running monthly ships from Vancouver,
and possibly from Tacoma. President
Houston of the Pacific Mail is said to be
on his way to the Coast to make the neces-
sary arrangements. Neither the Pacific
Mail nor the Oriental and Occidental COM
panies have idle vessels which could be
utilized in this way. New ships would
have to be built or bought. This would be
besides any steamers that would be
needed for the new Valparaiso line.
Steamship-owners do not appear to be
waiting for the development of our trade
with China to provide transportation facili-
fies. They are supplying steamers before
there is anything TO fill them with. From
present appearances there Will be next year
at least two and possibly three large steam
ers pl yiug weekly between HOng-Kong and
this Coast, and this in the face Of the Scott
act, which partially stops Chinese emigra-
ton TO the United States. 1t is evident
that ship-owners foresee a commercial
movement of which there are at present no
outward and visible signs. One steamer
per week could easily carry all the tea and
silk we take from China, and all the -four,
kerosene and manufactured goods we ship
to China. If there are to be three vessels
on the berth the owners must see in the
future a prospect of increased commerce
Possibly the men who are engaged in the
business discern possibilities of exchanges
which do not strike the public eye.
Those who remember the beginnings Of
steam intercourse between the Eastern
States and Europe will be struck with the
curious parallel afforded by the present sit
uation of steam navigation on the Pacific
The first regular line of steamers between
England and the United States was bound
by its mail contract to make Halifax and
Boston its Western terminals After a
time New York began to divide with Bos-
ton. Then Philadelphia and Baltimore put
in their claims for share Of the business;
lines were established from those ports.
Gradually, however, the ships which sailed
TO and from outlying ports on our Atlantic
coast were found TO lose money; one by one
the steamers found they would do better by
sailing to New York exclusively. Then, as
now, the British Parliament had been in
duced to grant liberal annual subsidy TO the
Cunard Line for the sake Of securing prompt
and regular postal connection with Hall
fax; but after time the Cunards declared
that the subsidy did not compensate them
for running TO that our-of-the-way port, and
it was dropped from their schedule. So now
the condition Of the subsidy to the Canadian
Pacific is that the steamers shall sail to the
strategic point Of Vancouver; and the bo-
nus offered by Tacoma to the Pacific Mail is
explained by the importance OF building up
that city, and its railroad 10 the East.
These attempts TO divert trade from its
natural channels to other points by the ar
tifieial m ethods of bonuses and subsidies
will fail after a time, and the sbips of ALI
the lines will make San Francisco their
terminus.
To him who hath shall be given. The
seaport which gets the start of its rivals
increases its distance every year; simply
because, under ordinary circumstances, il
can digest all manner of cargoes, and can
load up the vessels which bring them with
something that pays better than ballast
So long as British Taxpayers are willing to
pay out money to make up the loss on a
line of steamers plying between Hong
Kong and Vancouver the vessels will be
kept on the berth. But no reciprocal trade
can be built up between those two points.
And sooner or later Englishmen will be
tired of taxing themselves to sustain an