The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-07-21
THE NICARAGUA
CANAL PROJECT
It's Effect 90 the Pacific Coast Com
mercial Interests Vide
spread.
TREASURER II. /. HoTcHKIss
OF the Maritime Canal Company Of NieafS-
qua. and rfomiHent New YORK
Banksr. rays Astoria
Visit.

Mr. Horace L. HotohklsA. the well
known banker Of Broad street. New
York. ana treasurer Of the Maritime
Canal Company. OF Nicaragua. spent
sunday in Astoria. IN examination Of
this port Mr.. HotchkIss has been
making n tour OF the Pacific looking
into matters connected with the great
canal project He is enthusiastic upon
the subject. ana In an Interview with
an Astorlan representative Sunday
evening. he said:
you need the Nicaragua canal on
this coast. and should lose no time in
having the pending bill put on the
calendar Of the next congress and
placed upon It's passage. The immedi-
ate future prosperity Of this coast is
largely dependent upon the Nicaragua
canal. The people here need a mar
ket for their products. and new indus
tries 10 give occupation 20 the people.
This is particularly true OF this north
west coast People are willing TO work
and willing 20 come here 10 work II
the opportunity offers The lumber in
terests here are limited In their ca
paclty 10 market their product from
lack OF facilities for moving their
goods 20 the various markets OF the
world. Your Ashing industry on the
Columbia alone must make you a
great town and a great state with
proper facilities for reaching market
and well maintained hatchcries. Then
take your wheat. which now goes
around the Horn, and passes through
the tropics twice. thus deteriorating It's
quality, Il could be made to bring l5
cents more per bushel In the foreign
markets II shipped through the canal.
Your hops, which are acknowledged
the world over TO be Of superior quail
ity would bring better prices with
cheaper transportation. The railroads
you now are building. win furnish ac-
cess for salmon and lumber to the in
terror markets and win open the way
for the establishment OF many i'm
portant Industries which could not
otherwise be secured here.
"The one great necessity for the en-
tire coast is the Nicaragua canal. You
want population. and population will
come n facilities are provided for TAX
ing care OF the results OF the devel-
opment OF your wonderful resources.
Farmers will come when they learn
that they can earn fair returns TOR
their labor The world needs your
lumber, II knows It's superior quality.
but cannot get Il because OF expensive
transportation means
THE SueE canal cost 100000. 900 and
is today earning sl4,O00.OOO yearly. The
tolls on the suez canal are Sl.9O per
ton, Our company has already spent
100000 in surveys and S6000,OOO in
prosecuting the work The Nicaragua
canal can be constructed for less than
$50, ,O0O. .OoO-I should say about S65,OO0,-
OOO--aecording to conservative esti-
mates, Army engineers. as you wen
know. always over-estimate the cost
OF projects Of this kind. suppose,
however, the Nicaragua canal should
cost 800, 100000, the tonnage at its
opening for the first year. would be
5000, 900 tons. At only 81 per ton tolls
the earnings would be sS,OOO,OOO, and
the interest on the bonds at per cent
would be only sS,OOO,OOO so that there
would be large profit from the be-
ginning The plan is a perfectly FEAST
BILE one, despite all that has been said
to the contrary favor the building Of
the canal under governmental control
and backing, II would be a money
making scheme for the government,
with the canal built, in five years
the population on this coast would be
doubled, Cargoes would be shipped in
both directions. Pig iron could be laid
down here from the east at about $40
per ton, which would enable you to
manufacture your own agricultural
Implements, machinery, etc, and your
lumber and wheat could reach mar
ls4ts now inaccessible and bring remu-
nerative prices The Nicaragua canal
would have a larger traffic than the
Suez, and the advantages to be gain
ed by this country alone would be in
estimable, considering simply its inter
nal traffic and military Importance
The Atlantic and Pacific seaboards
will be closely connected, and a saving
Of 1000 miles made over the route
around the Horn.
This great project is the crying
need Of the hour, and the Pacific coast
will have the aid of the East and
South in its efforts to secure the ne
cessary action by congress. Coils p.
Huntington is the only man on this
coast who is opposed to the scheme,
and this railroad magnate's motives
are plainly evident,
"As soon as work shall commence
the canal the people out here will take
heart. Manufacturers, farmers and la
borers viii drop in on you and estab-
lish themselves. 1t is to the interest