The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-12-26
A PACIFIC CABLE.

Senator Mitchell of Oregon has /
introduced a bill to advance the /
scheme for laying cable to con-
meet this coast with Hawaii, Samoa,
New Zealand and Australia. We |
are not informed as to the details |
of the measure, but it is fair TO |
assume that Senator Mitchell has !
drawn it with his accustomed ex-
actness and that he will push it
with his accustomed energy. Our
California members should promote
it actively. San Francisco needs
such telegraph facilities more than
any other city on the coast, though
all commercial centers will be bene-
flied by it. The Pacific Board of
Commerce, representing the whole
coast and the interior as far as
Salt Lake City, began the active
urgency of the scheme in its meet
ing in this city. The first report
upon the subject YVES prepared and
presented by Mr.. Hugh Craig, HIM
self a New Zealauder by birth,
though not a tattooed Maori by
any means: for his Scotch push and
sense have put him foremost in
business affairs here. The laying of
such cable means that we are to
make more of the sea. The land is
behind US and the ocean is ahead.
We must 60 down to the sea in
ships. All along the Atlantic coast
our ancestors made money out OF
the sea. For nearly two centuries
it produced for them more wealth
that did the land, and what they
took from it and brought across it
laid the foundations of cities and of
fortunes. In the sea they found
fish and whales, and from it caught
and brought many of the neces-
sares and some of the luxuries Of
life. When they took complete
possession of it by steam and cleo
tricity, Neptune surrendered his
trident. In and across the Pacific
we have greater potentialities of
wealth, and we should use them.
San Francisco needs to use them in
order to hold her primacy. A bust
ness man in this city has recently
returned from long tour on Puget
Sound and amongst the cities
thereof; he tells US that San Fran
cisco is not heard of there, and
Portland is ignored. These Sound
cities are practically colonies sent
out by Minneapolis, st. Paul and
Chicago. In the banks and markets
and railroad offices you hear OF
those Eastern cities, but no
one seems to know or care
about San Francisco. If this
city were in Hawaii or New
Zealand it would not be more re-
mote than now from the thoughts
and apparent interests of those
Eastern commercial colonies, which
are gaining population at the rate
of 100000 a year. The business
men among them are junior part
ners, or agents, or commission
men, or in some way promoters Of
houses in Chicago or st. Paul OF
Minneapolis or Duluth. The com
MERGE generated by a rapidly in.
creasing population goes East by
rail rather than to this city by
water, which is a most remark.
able spectacle. San Francisco
should at once go to the assistance
of Senator Mitchcll's cable bill
We need survey ship or feet
and the Government should make
that provision and furnish the en-
gineer officers to make the survey
of the route and map the profile O.
the oceans bottom. Mr.. Craig's
careful report upon the cost of the
work puts it within S10,000,000, {
sum that no longer appalls The
beholder. Ten men in San Fran
cisco could subscribe it in ten min
utes and feel no inconvenience
When the Government has rend
cred it's essential assistance anc
the project is ready for private en-
terprise, this city's interest mus
be manifest in the cash put up
and if our capitalists do their duty
: by our commerce in the matter
there will be no doubt about til,
location of the control of the cable
The capital to be raised is nothing
when we reflect that this city haI
s15,000,000 a year of commerce
with Hawaii alone, and we may al
we'll have proportionate trade
with New Zealand and Australia
and the way to get it is by enlarg
ing our facilities for commerce
and the one-most needed is thi
cabIe.--- Alta Dec. 18th.