The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-05
STEAMERS TO CHINA.
Hill Talks of His Next Great
Undertaking.
FLOUR FOR UNTOLD MILLIONS.
Ii IL To Be Carried Cheap. and Cultl-
waite Chinese Ta>te-Northern Pa
cffic 10 Remain Separate.

Z he Great Northern viii establish such
line. provided China will take Washing
ton -four at = cents per sack OF fifty
pounds. and we can bring back rice 10 put
on the market here al IL cents per pound
The question OF a terminus In an enter
prise of this magnitude will be settled by
a few cents on the rate per hundred
pounds
The above remark was made yesterday
By James j. Hill. president OF the Great
Northern, in the office Of Thomas Burke.
Mr. Hin, after consultation with officers
Of the road. talked over the situation in
the Orient for upwards OF an hour with
Woo Gen. manager Of the Wa Chong
Company in this city, who returned from
China some six months ago.
Its easy enough 10 start a steamer
line" continued MIR. Hill. but when We
start We want TO start right, and build
up line that Will be permanent /
don't want any broken-down ships. but
vessels OF the very first class. The point
of the whole matter IS just here: VIII
the Chinese adopt -four as food article
If we can lay it down in their ports so as
10 compete with rice2 Every other race
that has once taken hold OF -four, for ex-
ample the Indians and the Africans. has
never left il. and IL the Chinese empire
should become d consumer of neur, the
demand created would be prodigious. The
proposition means very little or ii means
something enormous.
Turning 10 Woo Gen. Mr.. Hill asked
what In his opinion the Chinese would do
IL -four were offered TO them so as 10 be
within the reach of the masses. The mer-
chant answered that he thought ii would
be generally adopted as an article of
food. For the past twenty years. ne said,
China had been using -four. first from Cal
ifornia and later from Washington and
Oregon. The California -four was whittier,
but less nutritious, and the Washington
and Oregon product was now more gen
orally used. The -four trade. he pointed
out. had already attained extensive pro-
portions. He then added:
China WIZ BE Hungry for Flour.
IF you can lay -four down in Hong
kong at a figure to compete with rice.
predict that the entire Pacific coast will
not be able TO supply one-tenth of the de-
mand."
That's exactly what / want to know
said Mr.. HILL Take Walla Walla wheat.
You can get II. say for 50 cents a bush
ell and after manufacturing IL into -four
can lay IT down I'm China for 62l2 cents
per 90 pounds. Allowing the merchants
12ia cents for handling II. which / under
stand is a good figure in that country.
you have placed IL in the hands of the
consumer for 20 cents. The vessels could
then bring rice back 10 this country
Woo Gen was then questioned closely
as to the present price of flour. and he
figured the low grades at about 81 per %
pounds. Mexican money. or 80 cents in
American coin. The difference between
that rate and the rate proposed by Mr..
Hin is ~ cents. while the flour to be furn-
ished over the new line was considered as
first grade. and the second and lower
grades were not included in the calcula-
ton. The many factors 10 he regarded
were discussed by Mr.. Hill. II was sug-
gested that India could furnish flour
cheaper than Washington. To this he
answered that transportation from the
wheat fields 10 the sea coast gave this
+. country an immense advantage probably
50 per cent. and that the Pacific coast
could Guido India unless the English gov
eminent gave up the rental Of the lands
Mr.. Hin. although he discussed the
proposition from the standpoint OF a
railroad president who goes into Il TO
make II pay. grows almost enthusiastic
over the prospect. He steadfastiy an
nounces his intention 20 be sure of his
ground, and If a steamer line is estab-
lished 10 make IL a profitable investment
Touching upon this point. he referred 10
the Great Northern standing he said. in
hard times as n beacon light among the
Western railroads. II ii had gone down.
or had been shaken. during the financial
panic. the effect upon this section would
have been doubly disastrous.
Effects of Silver Currency.
The talk with Woo Gen on the trade
relations % the Orient brought ont some
interesting facts. One was in reference
10 silver. The business OF China is trans
acted on the basis Of the Mexican dollar
some years ago the United States trade
dollar was in circulation. bat il has nov,
been entirely displaced The reason as
signed is the fact that the MexIcai dollar
IS worth cents less than its competitor
ana that the cheaper always drives the
dearer out Of the market
II is said that China is opening IN q
vast market for coal oil. which is nog-
driving nut oil out Of the market II &c
used extensively. and while il costs abo1.
HAIR ghe price Of nut oil gives a ugbt
twice as good. There seems 10 he an an
portunity for the development or oil wells
along the Great Northern in the Kalispeu
country, whore there are reported tn he
large deposits of petroleum.
Mr.. I'm also spoke OF the cotton ir.7,,S-
trN. toGrieen years ago England ftr.
nsShed all the coftons Tor China ana IA
pan. nut the latter country began 70 orc,
factories untU now there are in onar.f,o,,
twenty large establish mehtS one ~
Z which. opened only a year ago has vat4
q profit OF ABOUT l. per cent The re~,,It
ras been mat, While Japan has surplta4
her own people. she has also rtlt i~to
the British trade With China ana has y,,r-
n'sheo she latter country with farra
proportion of her cottons. Japau. +, A.
this. Sent wo-kmen INFO Asaee We're
they became experts. White Mr. IAN
was 81 England only a short zine zpo
he learned thai the Creates activity -rera
Was In furnishing machinery COR me Jan
anese, and he says tina; fact has an 6-3t-
mons look Tor English factories.
The discussion turned a. one time nm
-he effect OF the late war. and bath Nao
Gen and Mt HiN expressed their orfo-
ion. ths former saying II would henee,
Chiua BY freeing The country from .
horde OF HsrasiticsI and cor~st1, ofF. -
holders, and the latter ve7.9~i~,r ths
sweeping preGlction that If the Norr3.t-
a~s couat come out from Ire Influence az
"srlri*s." their merchants an8 -aoala
generally would compete with The entire
world RE referred 10 them as stfrsri,r
- the japanese. and as most -haranrh
business u1sn,
Woo Cen vas called lr.o >o~f4--~.~z
with Afr. Hill though "a letter from f-s,tr
ChonE Hook. general proprietor Of .ha
VA C1onE Company. wttA hsz37sla~ ta,s
- Hc uEAoas. Cbjn C'aorE Hook Woe
Gen saws. IS deeply interested IN era -
rsh3aSb Tent Of steamer Hne f~ovn Hong
kong n Seattle. ard has entered ,-,-~
txtsr slTe c1FraSuor3 erca with tr4- s~s
IN view. TIE company fsae hrar-n
HauSss ~ This cttT. Eutte ana Helena ar4
receives large shipments Pas gne %o-tN-~,-
F1> -t@- ss=e--7e~s That~ iast ea-. xfsrr,e...