The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-10-04
ASTORIA'S TRADE
WITH THE ORIENT
Lines Of Commerce Rapidly Develop
Ing IN Pacific Northern
Coast.
THE FUTURE WELL OUTLINED
Prominent Traffic Man Gives Facts aud
Figures Present Traffic Greater
Than Transportation Facilities
Trade Moving Northward


Trade Moving Northward.
Daily new evidence rs transplrIng
Of the increasing importance Of the
port Of the Columbia River within
hvc years Astoria win be the hcknowl-
| edged leading port of the Northwest.
Everything points In that direction.
Yesterday Mr. VIM. Harder. the general
agent az Portland ~ the Great North
crn Railway spent the day In the city
and made thorough canvass Of the
situation. Mr Harder IL n well known
enthusiast upon the subject Of Pacific
coast trafiic and while nm enthusiast
he Is one ~ the most conservative men
In the trafiic business. When asked re-
gardlng the condition Of trade with the
orient. and the future prospects Of
the development OF that trade via the
Columbia. Mr., Harder said 10 an As
iorian representative:
Il have some peculiar ideas on this
subject Did you ever stop 10 think
that there are 400 OOo. 900 people in China
and ioOOO.Oo0 in Japan? Now then. II
We only deal with ten per cent OF this
gross population. or H.OOO. 900 people. we
VIII have business relations with a pop
ulaticn equal 10 70 per cent OF the whole
population II the United States These
are minimum figures. and am salts
fed that within very few years our
trade relations on the Pacific coast
with Oriental countries win far exceed
these figures only yesterday saw n
man In Portland who has contracted
with the Japanese government 10 sup
ply from Akron. Ohio. all OF the rubber
goods to be- used In the japanese navy
These Hre matters which we do not or
dlnarily think about But believe
1 am safe In saying that within five
years time from now you will find as
many freight steamers on the Pacific
ocean, plying between this northern
coast and the orient as are now engag-
ed on the Atlantic
What was the main object OF Ii
Hung Changs visit to the United
States? He is the chief executive ofil-
Ger OF the Chinese empire, He is now
engaged In building railroads and tear
Ing down the various trade barriers be-
tween the cantons OF his nation. II is
his Intention 10 adopt our ideas and |
of commerce and establish |
trade relations with us The Pacific |
coast will in few years be the bulls
'ye of the United States. and you must
not be surprised II you see the wheat
'oast instead NJ TO Chicago. Look at
he present condition Of the wheat mar
Iets OF the world. The Pacific coast
= today unable 10 supply the demands
made by India and Australia Tor bread
'tuIs 10 supply the deficiency caused by
he short crops in those countries The
,rice OF wheat has gone up all over the
world. This is the natural source OF
upply Tor those countries and even
wore there not shortage the rice-eat-
ng nations are rapidly being educated
O the use OF American wheat and -four. s
Within the past few days you have
Witnessed the sight at Astoria of the {
departure Tor the Orient Of two extra 4
teamers loaded to the gunwales with s
wheat and -four. one, the Chittagong, {
vas run in the o. II, and n. line, and
he other, the Hupeh. in the Canadian
'acific line. Both had to leave cargoes c
eh!nd which they We're unable to ham r
lie. One Arm In Portland alone is now !
ding business OF $4,000 per day in q
heat, -four and feed to Australia, In Y
la, Siberia. China and Japan. other (
rms are largely engaged in the same I
rafiic, the business is rapidly growing \
nd II Is settled beyond peradventure c
{ doubt, that more steamers will be t
ut on the lines now in operation, and I
ther steamer lines to the Columbia will n
e organized. {
Another thing which has been c
rought to my attention lately, and p
'hich OF necessity encourages the bus a
less men and railroads OF the North L
est, is the fact that the whole ship h
Ing business Of this coast is moving a
orth from San Francisco, Nothing Is c.
Ding south of that port. Merchants Il
nd dealers on both sides OF the Pacific W
refer to deal with the men of the b
orth, who possess nerve and brains S
'quisite to the handling of large af- 81
Lira. Look at the whole shipping busi- a
sss OF the world. Where Is your civ G
zation? 1t Is In the northern coun- r.
les, where the men have that activity p
Id hard working qualities which ena- fC
e them to successfully compete with Il
lie world. 1t is not in the enervating n
I'd heated countries of the south that ."
ou find the largest concerns and b,
'eatest traffic activity. p,
I'm all these rapid changes and ad- OF
lncement In business, is 1t not easy II
Il blind man to see the position that te
Ill be occupied in the near future by cC
storia and your new railroad? The "a
.ilroad is the key which opens the a
'or of this coast to the highest COM sc
Continued on Fourth Page.)