The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-23
TRADE WITH HAWAII.
Steamships to Run From Puget
Sound Ports.
WILL SEATTLE sussip,zE rHEM4
Meeting OF the Merchants and Manu-.
facturers' Exchange to Conaider the
Question-Mr. simpsons Talk.

facturers' Exchange to Conaider the
Question-Mr. simpsons Talk.
The Merchants and Manufacturer Ex-
change held meeting yesterday morning
to consider the question of assisting in the
establishment OF steamship line between
Sound ports and the Hawaiian islands.
About thirty-five of the leading merchants
OF the city were in attendance and listened
to W. Z. Simpson, general manager of the
Puget Sound and Hawaiian Traffic Com
pany. and Hawaiian Consul George Car
ter. Mr.. Simpson has recently returned
from Honolulu, where he went to agitate
the question of steamship line. While
there he secured the pledge of q subsidy
and concessions from the government
amounting to about 81 200 per month for
the line, and this has since been ratified
by the provisional government The meet
ing had been called for the purpose Of lis
tening to Mr.. Simpson, who made q very
interesting statement relative to the BUSH
ness of the Hawaiian islands and the inn
portance of their traffic with the United
States. Among other statements Mr..
Simpson said:
considerable commercial benefit to the Puget
sound country, principally from the fact that
commodities which are produced and manu-
featured III this neighborhOod are necessities to
the people located on the islands. Any increase
in business which will accumulate from the
influx OF American people and capita. to the
islands will, of course, seek the cheapest market
wherein they Can purchase such commodities.
San Francisco buyers are continually In the
Sound markets purchasing our oats, barley,
wheat, millfeed. etc, and shipping them to San
Francisco, where they are again sold to the
merchants OF Honolulu, and II we can Establish
business relations with merchants now in bust.
ness in Honolulu we eau sell them the same
products for the same price plus the freight
charges from Puget sound to San Fran cisco, the
transfer charges in San Francisco aud the San
Francisco jobbers' profits. This, with the ordi.
nary business sagacity OF the Seattle merchants,
should transfer all OF the feed, coal, -four,
salmon and produce business from San Fran
cisco to the Sound.
Our steamship company 10 organized for bust
ness We propose placing q suitable carrier Of
freight aud first-class passengers in this trade
One round trip each month will be made. and
from 1900 to 500 tons of goods which are grown
and made in this state will be shipped monthly
to that market This means from $4,000 to $780,.
coo worth OF trade per month which the mcr.
chants OF this community have not enjoyed
heretofore. This increase Of their business 10
certainly worth something to them. Were our
steamship company in an established paying en-
terprise no aid would be necessary, but 40 both
time aud money must be spent in the opening
OF any new market, it is but reasonable that the
merchants who will be directly benefited should
at least stand a small proportion Of the expense
which must be necessarily incurred In opening
this profitable trade. The Puget sound region
is the only competitive market that the mer.
n 81 IA "a ell
on the Pacific coast against san Francisco, and q
steam communication will sooner or later be es.
tablished between this country and the islands
The Puget Sound Hawaiian Traffic Com
pany will operate between Tacoma and Hopo-
lulu, but should the merchants Of seattle deem
this new business of Sufficient Importance by
sustaining . portion of the losses which will
necessarily be incurred through the successful
establishment of this line, Seattle will be made
one OF the ports OF entry and couscQ uently be
enabled to participate in the new business
which is bound to come to the Sound. Port
land is competing with the Sound for the tel-
minus of this line. but ii tho cities of Puget
sound are a. alive to their interests - they
always have been. this company will come to
the sound first.
Mr.. Simpson was followed by Hawaiian
Consul George Il. Carter, who was born
and lived for many years on the islands
and is a son OF the late Hawaiian minister
to the United States, H. A. P. Carter. He
said that in the inception of the establish
ment OF steam communication between
the ports of Puget sound and the Ha.
waiian islands, he had thought that the
time was hardly ripe, but since Mr.. Simp-
son had returned from Honolulu his ideas
had been completely changed; that the
conditions were particularly advantageous
mr. a Of h,,.
Carter also said that the statements made
by Mr.. Simpson were true. to his indie
pendent knowledge, that the merchants Of
Honolulu would hail with substantial ap-
probation the establishment of direct
transportation facilities; also, knowing
the advantages of the Hawaiian islands in
producing goods which can be consumed
In this country, that an increased con-
sumption of the commoditie. which the
state Of Washington can so cheaply pro-
duce will stimulate large increase in bus
mess both ways.
An informal discussion of the subject
followed, and the merchants showed their
interest by asking questions relative to
points mentioned in Mr.. simpsons re-
marks. as well as others. request was
made that Mr.. Simpson submit a written
proposition as 10 what 1t would be neces-
sary for the merchants to do. In reply
that gent ieman stated that the steamship
company was an established fact, and
that If the merchants of Seattle desired to
participate in this new business it would
be necessary for the request to make Seat
tie port of entry to come from them. as
they would be the largest beneiiciaries.
lie said that the Tacoma people had
agreed to contribute $4,000 to demon
stra'e the feasibility of the proposition.
The whole matter was referred to tho
board of directors, who will discuss it
fully and report to the exchange. The
general feeling of those present was in
favor of giving subsidy of $1,000 per
month.
John C. Emo. the bank embe1zier, pleaded not
guilty in a NaN York court Tussdax mamma