The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-30
OUR RAILS FOR JAPAN
Special Order For Steel Rails
Placed In This Country.
We uNpsRslo THE BRITISH.
In Other Supplies. However, the United
States Makes an Cn~Atisfnc-
terry showing.
New York rmA

TIE second erser for American steel
rails fo~ Iaraness railroads was placed
recently with The Carnegie Company ey
kenro Twahars- the New YORK repre-
sentative o. AE4ssaf s. ca. OF J&can- IL
IS special order for :. oso scns. 70 be de-
4vsr~a by the end Of the year, and IS Ter
extensions Of thre~ railroads, one IN
Middle Japan. one from os&No 10 Nal
EarA and one "a kisashfa Island, Ire
soasherarnoss OF the japanese srcAs pe3axo-
The contract calls FOR gsxty-pogna rails.
The ar-ce has not been made known ey
e4ther the Carnegie Company or &F. IVA
hara
IL believe" said Mr. IwzhAra 20 re-
porter Of the New YORK Times. that
JaDanese railroad companies viii pare
other orders for rails In America ard
that American rail- manufacturers Wal
And q good market Tor their prcanct n
Japan. Americans are able 20 undereid
English rallmskers even tisoGgh freight
rates from san Francisco 10 Japan are
higher than freight rates from England
TO Japan.
Japan cannot yet make her own rails.
because her IRON mines are few ana un-
developed. Until they are deveoped
japan must depend on America, England
ami Germany for her railroad material.
"A few orders for locomotives have been
placed with thu Baldwin Locomotive
Works and the Porter Locomotive works.
in this country. but most OF the ioco-
motives in Japan are OF English make
while England and Germany supply all the
pssseAzer and freight cars. ! doubt
whether American cars viii ever b ex-
tensively used IN Japan.
IAN tusuortant event VIII be the arrival
IN this country OF q. Matsumoto, CHIEF OF
the japanese government inspectors. VINO
will come here next month Mf. Matsa-
motto is sent by the japanese government
4, study American railroads. their con-
str,,ctlon. equipment and management.
and his report 10 The govefament wiz
have a great influence IN determining
sha ftlrure of American railroad trade
with Japan.
AT the present time all japanese rail-
roads are narrow gauge. Ii Is thought
best 20 make them broad gauge. but the
expense Is an obstacle that must Dc con-
sidered before a change Is MADE.
..Japan is a network OF railroads, most
Of which are owned by private companies
ana a number by the government. but the
government exercises supervision OF the
construction OF all railroads. No rahroaa
may be built without government perfnls-
sion. and the government must hFsI
sanction a proposed route. ahe govern
rnent will not allow parallel lines 10 De
hnflt because IL does not favor compe-
believes the interests Of Japan deinana
that there should be no such compeE-
ton between railroad companies
.sJapan buys her steamships from Eng
land rather than from America, because
the English can underseil Americans IN
steamships. A new steamhlp company.
the Oriental Company of Tokyo has Just
been ORGANIZED. with a capital OF s.s0.eoo
ven. and Ii is going to place orders Tor
twelve big cargo steamers OF 5000 tons IN
England. The company will run a line
q, steamers from Japan to HAMBURG
ana another from Japan to New YORK
through IN. Suez canal. President Asano,
of the company. is now IN California
No order for steamships is likely 10 De
placed in this country for some time.
1T Is n great pity" continued Mr.. IVA
ha~a. That Americans do not try TO COM
pete with Engishnen in the manufacture
OF cotton splndles for the japanese mar
sset. All spins'lss In Japan are made IN
England. One company supplies ~ per
cent. of them We would be very gao TO
huv American spindles II We could do 50
ch~sply enough There is also splendid
field IN Japan for American engines ana
boilers. which are now bought IN Eng
lard But for some reason American
manufacturers do not seem 70 care 10
compete for the japanese trads.