Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-09-14
STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY.
Sharp Rivals for San Franclsco's Mercan-
tile Prominence,

Sharp Rivals for San FranciscO's Mercan-
tile Prominence.
Some attention has been given in
these columns, says the San Francisco
Argonaut, to the comparatively re-
cent development of the country
north and south OF San Francisco on
the Pacific Coast and the possible ef-
feet OF that development upon this
city. San Francisco has so long en-.
jOyed position of commercial and
social supremacy on this coast that
the people Of this city are apt to in.
dulge themselves in IA sclf-complacent
thought that that position is impreg-
nable But it has been lack of COM
petition rather than any pre-eminent
capacity on the part OF San Francisco
that has brought about and hitherto
maintained that state OF affairs To-
day, formidable competition is grow
ing up both to the north and in the
south, and it is well to face the stu
alton souarely and to cons'de' the
measures necessary for success inl the
coming struggle.
Other things being equal, ocean
commerce will be attracted to those
points where the natural facilities are
best and tr3nScOntinental commerce
will naturally come to the shipping
centers; and, at the same time trans
continental facilities will naturally
supplement the physical advantages
OF the seaport in the development Of
its commerce. On the Pacific Coast
the natural facilities point out Puget
Sound and San Francisco as the ship
ping centers Between these two
points is Portland, city of great
wealth and energy in proportion to
its size. Portland will probably al
ways be Il great distributing center;
but in the competition for ocean COM
merce it must remain at dlsad-
vantage on account of the Columbia
River. with its long, turtuous chan.
mel and the dangerous lar at the
mouth. The greater part of the
ocean trade must be turned to the
north or the south and find an outlet
cisco Bay. Which of these two
points will secure the greater part of
this trade of Portland and the sur
rounding country of Oregon will de-
pend upon the energy displayed in
securing it and upon the preparation
made for handling it.
Hoiu IdHClSCO Has SuCIl
advantages that the trade will come
here of necessity, and the Northern
Country is already well equipped in
dustrially -Four transcontinedtal rail-
roads now end at Puget Sound; San
Francisco has but one. The Canadian
Pacific reaches navigable water at
Vancouver; the Great Northern
touches Puget Sound at Everett and
branches north and south, finding
good harbors at Fairhaven, Seattle.
and Tacoma: the Northern Pacific
has its western terminus at Tacoma;
and the Union Pacific has completed
| its surveys and located its road to the
same city. BY sea the cOmmunica-
tion is not less complete. Vancouver
has steamship lines to Japan and
China, the Sandwich Islands, and
| Australia; and Tacoma has line in
| operation to Japan and China. and
| another organized to secure share
| of the Hawaiian trade.
In natural resources the back coun-
try that these cities must draw upon
| is not inferior to California Its
| agricultural resources are extensive,
and, as yet, hardly step has been
taken toward their development.
For manufactures, there are iron and
| coal in abundance; and the lumber
supply is more extensive than can be
| found elsewhere in the same area in
the United States.
| Such competitor is by no means
contemplate, and the superior size
of this city will be of small avail in
the struggle that must come. San
Francisco is to be retained in the
position it now occupies, not by COM
planning Of the facilities for COM
merce we now have, but by putting
| forth every energy TO increase and
| multiply those facilities Competing
| railroads will come here just so soon
as it is made manifest that the traffic
| will guarantee q fair return on the
investment, and not before; increased
| facilities by sea will be secured by
| creating business for steamers to
carry, and this will be accomplished
| by the construction of more railroads
opening up new territory and giving
| increased facilities to the territory
| already opened up The effort must
| be made in both directions A mer-
chant of this city recently called at
| tention to the mutual advantages
| that would result from extended trade
between this city and Australia
| Owing to the differences of seasons,
the goods that sell here in winter
would find market there during our
summer, and summer goods would be
sold there in winter. California now
has but a small share of the Austral-
ian trade: systematic effort would
divert large part OF it in this direc-
! tiO1. This is but one OF the direc-
tions in which an effort should be
made. Business will not come here
ofits own accord; the merchants must
reach out for it and secure it in the
face of the most active opposition.