The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-01

HaFmsvs' Alliance Shipments May BE
Handled at the City Dock

1armsys' Alliance shipments May BE
Handled st the City Dock
III the plans OF the Farmers' Alliance
Tor the handling Of the crop Of its MEM
hers on tide water and for the export
Of Ii work out successfully, wheat will
be shipped not only from the grain ware
house on the west side but from the CITY
dock of the Oregon Improvement Com
rany. and possibly from one or two other
wharves on the east front Of the harbor.
II. r. Hesse, the business agent Of the
Alliance, who has been In the city look
ing into the matter. returned 10 Spokane
yesterday to report 20 the committee hay
ing the matter in charge. The Alliance
desires 10 secure the establishment OF
tide water warehouse TO which the indi-
vldual farmers can ship their wheat and
sell for export through the agent and at
the same time be able TO obtain loans on
warehouse receipts. Owing TO the present
low price the farmers are ayerse 10 selling
until the market il better, as they think 10
will be in consequence of the partial fail
urc Of the European crop, and they hope
by storing their crop themselves to raise
loans on IL and still hold II, instead OF
selling TO the shippers at prices which will
hardly bring them out whole. Then they
would sell direct 20 the Liverpool buyers
and save the middiemen's profits.
With this end In view, Mr.. Hesse has
discussed the matter with Capt. J.. A. Hat
field, who has lease on the city dock OF
the Oregon improvement Company. IL
Capt. Hatfield can make arrangements 10
handle the Alliance wheat the Oregon I'M
proyemen. Company would give him the
facilities for doing so. Soundings are now
beng made in the slip between the city
and ocean docks for the purpose of testing
the bottom. and. If 1t should be required
by the closing OF contract between Capt
Hat field and the Alliance. the slip will be
dredged out TO depth of twenty five feet.
% rs 10 admit of its being used by ocean
vessels Theirs Is a wharf frontage of
nearly 500 feet between Railroad avenue
and the end of the wharf. SO that the larg-
est ships could lie alongside and take in
cargo at both patches simultaneously. A
warehouse about 5oxi50 feet would be built
on the wharf and q three-rail track would be
laid along 10, connecting with the Northern
Pacific and the Great Northern roads, as
we'll as the Columbia a Puget Sound, so
that any road could deliver cars right at
the warehouse. The space to be occupied
wharfed over. but since the great fire moth
ing has been left Of il except the charred
tim bers.
A much larger proportion of the crop Of
Eastern Washington islikely to be shipped
20 the Sound than in any former year for
several reasons In tho season Of 1912
the Northern Pacific road would have
brought far larger quantity here. but
that ships did not come here fast enough
90 take IL away. and last year the eleva-
tors OF Tacoma and Portland were glutted
and Seattle could not give them any relief.
owing TO the embarrassment of the Ter
minal Railway q Elevator Company.
This year, however, Seattle is in good
shape to handle all that comes here, while
q material advance in the towage rates on
the Columbia river will discourage ship
ments from Portland. Tacoma has not
increased her facilities. SO that ali the in
creased shipments to the Sound must
come 10 this port.