The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-11
SAN FRANCIsCO's DANGER.
Will 1t Long Remain the Metropolis OF
the Pacific?

the racine!
San Francisco Newsletter
What ID to be the relation of San Francisco to
the future commerce of the Pacific? Our peo-
pie, with laudable pride, claim that theirs is
.the Queen City OF the Pacific but is it as GER
tain ~ we would like il to be, that the future
will justify the appellation? We are subject to
q few drawbacks, but fortunately we are blessed
with 30 many natural advantages that only
foresight, enterprise and public spirit are
required to enable US to maintain the long start
in the lead We have made. II is unfortunate
that we have no coal in our immediate neighbor-
hood, and because of the fact 1t is hardly likely
that certain important branches of manufac-
turing will ever take deep root here. !.
The cities around Puget sound will
ever have an enormous advantage over Us in
that, a. well rs in some other particulars. The
coal, iron and lumber of the North should make
that the ship-huilding and manufacturing Gen.
ter OF the Pacific But san Franeiscos admir-
able position on the map of the world ought to
give her an assured future as to the commercial
entrepot for this ocean. But viii it? Expert
enced men of the world, acqainted with great
cities. and the methods by which commercial
supremacy is maintained, are not just as sure OF
what San Francseos future is going TO be as
some OF US are, with whom the wish 10 father to
the thought. Perhaps it would be well il we
listened occasionally to a little adverse eriti-
cism and calmly investigate it for all it
~
chant, for many years connected with the
China trade, recently said, in passing through
this city, that it was doomed to slow progress
and TO loss OF rank a commercial center.
Upon being pressed for reasons for the faith that
was in him, he said few things that were ex-
agyerated and not few that were exceedingly
disquieting He said, among other things. that
San Francisco has no large or available back
country to depend upon All the country east
of Salt Lake was tributary, he said, TO Chicago,
while west of the City of the Saints there were
but alkali plains and sterile mountains. II was
true, he admitted, that there was valuable terri
tory to both the north and south OF US, but the
railroads had made these regions rivals OF. not
feeders TO, our trade.
In regard to our foreign commerce he said
that it WAS now witnessing its best days. In
every direction there was a loss, in the Americas
lying south of Us as well as in sight. The COM
pletion of the Nicaragua canal would cut us off
from all the trade OF Australia, New Zealand
and the South Pacific islands In China and
Japan we should soon be almost unknown COM
mereially. Canadian Pacific enterprise, he de-
elared, would put US to shame. The new
steamers from Vancouver to Yokohama and
Hongkorg, as well rs those by way OF Hawaii to
Brisbane and sydney, would surpass in speed,
comfort and eheapness any vessels ever
seen in these waters. and even our own
people would go north TO take passage on
them. He said that in the building and
operating of seargoing steamers, We could not
compete with either the German or the
British. Furthermore, be declared that San
Franciseo's merchants did not. az . rule, put
themselves in line to win foreign commerce.
The system of credits upon which the worlds
commercial transactions are based, he said, was
pracficed here TO SO limited an extent as to rem
der il next to impossible for foreign merchants
10 do business st this port in anything save
wheat and -four. Though the Southern Cali
fornia boom was overdone for time, matters
there will come out all right, because, as the
unsurpassed and indispensable orchard of the
United states. that region has basis Tor Ger
tain kind of prosperity that cannot be disturbed.
Northern California may produce citrus, but
cannot produce them SO abundsntly as south
ern California san Pedro and San Diego are
good enough ports for all of that region The
area from the terminus OF the Canadian Pacific
along both shores of the Great Lakes. and thence
along the canals TO The Atlantic is to constitute
the future backbone of the industries and COM
merce of the North American continent, and
Canada and the United states viii find COM
plete union indispensable. such, at any rate,
are the views of . travelled and experienced
merchant familiar with this Coast and countries
OF the Pacific generally.
Arr those views scunds To answes that que.