The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-03
THE SUGAR IMPORTS.
WHY Merchants Do Not Enter
Them at Seattle.
THEY HAVE TACOMA BROKERS.
Importers Explain Why Credit for Sc
attIess Oriental Business Goes
TO Another City.

The remarkable fact that the large ship
nenfs OF sugar from China 10 this port
are entered at the customs house at Ia
coma instead OF here. SO that that port
gets credit for q large share of Seatties
commerce, led the Post-Inteiligeneer 10
inquire the cause among the merchants
who do the business here and TO seek the
remedy IL any can be found The i'm
portance OF the subject has only just been
enforced by the payment into the Tacoma
customs house of over $1,000 in duties on
sugar imported on the steamer Eyandale.
which money goes TO swell the Tacoma
customs receipts and is handled by the
Tacoma banks.
Frank T. Way, who is one OF the princi-
pal importers in this city, said when asked
the reason of this state Of affairs:
II am just as anxious as any one TO
build up Seattle. and all sae importing
that / do myself I have the same done
through the Seattle customs house |,
however, represent the largest Paclfc
coast importing house OF Oriental prod
ucts. such as teas. sugar rice, conee' mat
tings, etc. and whose business extends al
over the United States. They have had
for several wears a firm OF custom house
brokers In Tacoma to attend TO the GUS
toms clearance II is much more con-
venient and economical TO have all this
work done at once in Tacoma, than 10
have several custom house brokers scat
tered over the United States do various
portions OF the same work
THE principal article that / handle for
this particular importing firm is sugar.
IL frequently happens that the necessary
documents do not arrive with the cargo,
and. as a result. the goods must stay IN
bond until the arrival of these documents.
In an event of this kind, Tacoma can very
nicely take care of the cargo without any
expense TO the importer. She has large
and commodious warehouses 10 take care
OF just such cases as the one / cite. ON
the other hand, Seattle compares very I'M
favorably.
IF l should receive an importation of
sugar direct to Seattle, and by any acct
dent the goods should be required TO stay
In bond, IL would necessitate hauling the
sugar to the only bonded warehouse in
town. which is a very small .shanty, To-
Gated on Schwaba cher q Co : wharf. The
carriage on this transfer would be % cents
per ton, and the storage charge would be
80 cents per ton. This expense is saved
by having the goods come through Ia
coma.
when Seattle can get large enough
wharf and warehouse facilities to handle
this business as economically and as
quickly as Tacoma. with the proper rail-
road facilities 10 give the Eastern BUSH
ness the necessary quick dispatch, she
sAAANA
this business"
s. w K. Daily. who is agent for one of
the Hongkong sugar relneries, said: L
hope to see the sugar entered at the Seat
tie customs office, and it certainly ought
to be, for 80 per cent. Of all the sugar re-
ceived comes to this city. But my firm,
which is practically the London and San
Francisco bank, has branch of the bank
ing house in Tacoma, and in the bills of
lading directs the shipments from Hong
kong to the bank. The customs broker in
Tacoma tells me that in order to enter the
goods at Seattle il is necessary to have 1t
bonded from there to this place. To do
that would require the time. trouble and
expense of going TO Tacoma and signing
the necessary papers. but not anything
more. / think the time will soon come
when the consignments may be made di-
rect TO this city. and thus place the credit
OF the shipments where they actually be-
long.
''The real trouble lies In the fact that
the steamers do not stop here and for
them to do this ii is not necessary TO make
any Improvement in wharves. as this city
has the facilities for handling all freight
consigned TO Seattle. and often does
handle much greater quantities. / do not
think. however. that my people will wait
for such an event. but If they did / am
sure IL would not be long. The business of
this port is large enough TO compel them
to do IL in time"
Replying TO a question how the Chinese
merchants get their goods cleared here,
Mr.. Daily continued:
II am of the opinion that when the con-
signments are once made TO Tacoma and
broken there. they cannot come on here
without being bonded The Chinese have
their goods billed direct to this city. Our
firm is quite friendly to Seattle and would
like TO leave every dollar here which
rightfully belongs here as these duties
surely do