The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-05
DESTROYING orr LuasEs TRADE
Disassrous Eject of the Infamous Have
meyer Law On wsshinGten.

meyer Law On ~ nsua19kS0s
Portland o.egouian>
CT White, manager Of the Gray's Har-
Dor Commercial Company. was asked for
the causes Of the depressed condition OF
the lurn Der business and the tall OF III per
thousand feet in spruce in the last twenty
days He said:
.ssix years ago the lumber trade was
gond. remarkably good. Not only Was the
domestic market for Washington scuve.
bat We eold many cargoss in Australia,
the Argentine Republic and Chf!e- In
fact. ws sold carsoes q. every port on the
Pacific coast of Mexico. Central and south
America. Six years ago the great English
banking house of Barring BROS became
insoivent, and as il had millions OF
money IN the Argentine Republic, thai
country was necessarily ruined. ecareo
no longer 20 eonssgn cargoes TO AFgehtlns
ports for the danger was too great
Buyers from that country could not Guy
because they could not sell. The result
Was that We lost our Argentine trade. aud
the recovery OF business once iost 70
extremely slow. The Chilean war soon
followed, and on account of the disturbed
condition of credits IN that country We
suffered to the extent OF the whole OF our
trade Like the Argentine trade, We are
regaining 10 with great difficulty. Then.
as If to utterly destroy our foreign Market,
came the great Australian panic OF TWO
years ago. To that country the Gray
Harbor Commercial Company shipped
from twenty-five 10 fifty cargoes annually.
Last year we shipped only two cargoes:
To compensate for these successive and
almost total elimnations of foreign trade
We had opened to US the trade of the Vest
Central siases-the Dakotas. Iowa, Kan
sas. Nebraska. Illinois and par. OF Mis-
soarj-by the extension of the North
ern Pacific railroad To Gray's Ha-eor.
Two years ago this trade was good. In
this field We were able TO develop the
shing.e business. Bat Democratic ad-
minisfration followed, rendering more and
more uncertain the markets. until l have
received word today that the Canadian
Pacific has reduced freight rates to Detroit
one-third. which no railroad In the Unitsd
States can do on account Of the interstate
commerce laws. Thus has free trade and
Canadian shrewdness opened up our mar
ket to 3. 000, coo British Celumbians. who
able conditions. Atthis time We ara send
ing bid alter bid to Chicago, but the trade
has left US"
"Can the British Columbians undersell
the Washington dealersf"
why not? The Canadian Pacific is q
government road. Ii can make whatever
rate IL pleases and the government must
bianu lnc iuoS III any otCaEs. IL ~ uos
hampered by interstate commerce laws.
Il can place lumber in the markets as
cheap as any road in the United States.
Furthermore, the British Columbian can
manufacture more cheaply than we can
in Western Washington, for fully one
half of their labor is done by Cinnamon.
He buys his stumpage as he cuts 1t, the
crown owning and retaining the land he
is thus saved taxes and investment In
timber. Hero the lumberman must buy
stumpage ~ . price to sustain investment,
taxes and loss oceasioned by fire, from all
of which the British Columbian IL free.
Oar California market is today for the first
time in nine wears invaded by British
Co.umbians. Here Is q letter that came
in this mornings mail from San Fran
cisco. stating that agents Of British
Columbia mills are canvassing the city.
Such a thing has not happened in
nine long years. This trade is affected
By some of our shipping laws If We wish
to ship TO San Francisco, or to any do
mestic port, we must ship in an American
bottom. The British Columbian can char
ter ships Of any nationality 20 take car
goes TO San Francisco. or to any of our
own ports. He thus mas the advantage in
char,sring, and the danger TO a liked and
permanent trade Is greatly increased.
''Tne strike struck down many orders.
We have cars just now arriving at their
destination thst were shipped before the
strike. Generally these are Cancelled. The
hoods destroyed trade as we'll as property.
while the drouth In the states has ruined
some of our most profitable and promising
business In Iowa, where we were doing
q handsome business, we find il growing
less and less. and with not much promise
for an improvement until better prices for
wheat and other Eastern products are OBJ
tanned and their granaries replets with
an other abundant harvest"
''Can these things become much worsef'
II think not. We are certainly at the
bottom. The shingie mills are just pass
ing their stormiest period before quieting
down. Ny report from Bradstreet's today
shows four foreclosures aud assignments,
and not q day passes without q failure.
There is nothing for ANYBODY in the
shing.e business. With the tide of politics
turning rapidly 10 protection and Republi-
canism, with an almost total elimination
OF our foreign trade, and free trade inter-
meddling now with US in our domestic
markets. we will gradually recover. How
long il will be before q normal condition
will exist is pretty plainly marked out by
the limit of the presidential term, and IL
may be two years"