The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-09

For two weeks past an agent of Victoria
merchants has been quietly stopping At
one OF the downtown hotels soliciting
trade from intending kiondikers for his
patrons, and using as an argument with
which 10 drive customers into MS net tho
fact that The dominion government pro-
poses 10 enforce the collection Of an i'm
Post on American miners outfits
". X. Daley is the agent OF The Victo-
ria merchants A few days ago he had
printed and scattered broadcast OVER the
city little circular with the heading
Warning" in large type. Below was the
statement that the Canadian government
VIII collect duty OF s. per cent. on all
goods and outfits brought into the North
west Territory from any point in the
United States. II IS further stated that
large force OF customs officers is sta
toned AT the boundary line, guarding the
approaches from Dyea and SkaSaay, and
that a failure or refusal to pay the de-
mdnds OF the. officers Will be met with
confiscation Of the goods.
This. III grief, Is the argument advanced
by Daley. VINO spends his time interview
Ing miners bound for the klonGike as soon
as they arrive in the city. He te-ls them
that II they purchase their outfits In Seat
tie they will be subjected 10 "a duty run
ming from So to $3.50 per man. lie forth
fies this statement by the allegation that
IL they buy their goods in Victoria they
Will bee subjected TO no charge for du-
ties nor Will they be delayed by inspect
ors. He says further that they will be
given clearance papers from Victoria 10
the place for which they are bound in the
Northwest Territory.
Daley is a smooth taiker and he makcs
the most Of his points. II the duty propo-
sition fails 10 catch the klondikers' trade,
he says that 10 per cent. can be saved on
account of the lower prices on WOODEN
goods and sugar which he asserts are
made by the Victoria merchants. In
fine he asserts that 80 per cent can be
saved by Quitting in Victoria.
1t win be- well for Kiondikers to Iber-
ally discount this mans statements Ex-
Senator Alien said recently in an address
before the Chamber of Commerce that he
paid the duty on his sons outfit. and that
il was 80. The amount carried by Mr..
Allen was large. Well-iuformed persoas
say thai the duty on an average outfit is
less than this sum.
Daileys statements that the purchaser
of an outfit can save - per cent. on his
outlay through the lower prices charged
by the Victoria merchants Is not borne
out by The facts. More than that. little
of the QUILTING trade has fallen to Vie
toria and il cannot be considered that the
merchants OF that city are prepared TO
handle large number of customers with
the celebrity and after ton 10 packing that
is furnished by the Seattle merchants
Experienced packing is an absolute re-
quisite In the matter of supplies the
prices maintained in this city are the low
est on the coast and the business Is nat
urally much better handled from here
than from any other point on the Sound.
A full assortment OF all the needed ar:i-
Giles is TO be found in abundance here. and
the necessity OF going from place TO place
To find some particular article is thus
avoided