New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-09
TRADE WITH THE ORIENT.
PRESIDENT HILL SEES A GREAT oPPOR-
TUNITY FOR AMERICAN FLOUR
IMMENSE QUANTITIES CAN BE SHIPPED TO CHM
AND JAPAN. he SAYS. IT TARIFF DUTIES

lMMENsB QUANTITIES CAN Re SHIPPED TO CHINA
AND JAPAN. he SAYS, 1T TARIFF DUTIES
ARE PROPERLY ADJUSTED.
wash.ngton April s.-James J. Hill. president Of
the Great Northern Railroad, who is also largely
interested In transportation to the Orient. has
written a letter to Western Senator In which
he points out tho possibilities of trade in China
and Japan and suggests that tariff duties be SO
adjusted not to prevent or cut OF trade with
the countries across the Pacific. He says that
"the Asato trade Is Of the greatest Importance
to this country, and particularly TO such portions
Of It as are interested in raising wheat. and con-
tinues:
"A year ago last fall wheat sold for from IS to y
cents per bushcl In the Palouse country. south OK
Spokane Falls, and this year II has sold Tor from
G5 to 70 cents. About; three years ago sent "'
agent to China and japan to Investigate thor
oughly what steps could be taken to Introduce the
general use of wheat flour In those countries as
against their own rice. and found that 1t was
simply a matter of price. l then took up the
consideration Of building large steamers Tor tha'
trade designed to carry cargoes OF -four or gram
at low rates. ! found we could build the shps'
but that, owing to the Sailors Union nxihg inc
wages OF sailors at $50 month. and engineers
and other ship employees at about twice the wages
paid by European steamers. II wouu oe iN"po'
sible for US to compete with the English, German
italian and Scandinavian ships already on the
Pacific Ocean After the war with China the
japanese appropriated large amount OF the" war
indemnity for q subsidy to the merchant MARINE.
and We opened negotiations with the uenei"'
Steamship Company OF Japan, which Is owned u!
the leading men of the empire. We found their
subsidy was. about equal TO the cost Of their coal
and the wages of their sailors They pay .,ie''
sailors IS a month Mexican. or s. in gold enaohHs
them to hire twelve good sailors for the wages Vi
one American sailor After some protracaeeo ai'h
difficult negotia lions we concluded c0uiIact WI i
tben for a line of steamers between chinese anu
JaDancse ports and Seattle, on cohuiton Una.
would carry flour from Puget Sound 10 the Asiatio
ncrts at s ton as against from s. 10 81 a ton
formerly charged from West COAST PU,t t for ali
o,her lines between the Pacific Coast and ASA
and has resulted in carrying ou' apout W." l.,
e egh f m0n the ast crop There is left under
stasd. about five million bushels to be moved DC
Thus You viii see have been able to ma new
mouths which have never before usea wmeI and
WASHINGTON wheat crop out of the European i' H.
kes This Will reduce the amoumt s ohos,t 20 6
cI1Nthree times the quantity shipped to europe
from the Argentine during the last crop year ii at
are about 20 TO % cents higher. and ! think II may
be said that from IS to IS cents OF this rsv Is 5ea
from the European markets. see In this morn
ings market reports a telegram 1a on 1" erchsndse
Srnm San Francisco TO Europe. after waiting four
mOnihs for cargoes of wheat and that no more
W
The only way we could bring about thls great re-
auction In the cost of transportation OF nour 70
Asia was by diverting the tea and mating pusi
ness which has heretofore gone mainly on Engnsn
ships from Asia, direct 10 NewI orK ana Driheiis
these commodities to the Pacific Coast py a. 10"
rate of transportation inland by raj. 10
the commodities to points between Minnesota ana
NewYork. ,r .o ,ho. ,or will
understand the situation and be able TO see Una.
unless these ships bring their main carsoes Ui
merchandise to the Pacific ports at rates that VIII
Compensate them for the traffic the business mus
go as heretofore. to Newly ork. and the rates on
dour 10 Asiatic ports will be again at the od iig
ure or an advance OF about % cents q o1 h,si
which would in my Judgment, destroy the DUST
ness that has just begun TO be built up win these
countries The province Of Annoy alone, when II
near the coast, contains over eighty mlIilohs OF
people and at twenty pounds OF hour per cap ia
her annum would consume the product OF 4)~.Wv
bushels OF wheat The large districts OF I.eh- lslh
and Shanghai. both easily accessible from the sea-
would consume about as much more. as soon as
trade can be fully opened. 1t Is not OUTSIDE me
range of possibility that could snip wheat from
Devils Lake 10 the Pacific Coast for this trade
We certainly could at 30 cents Dushel COST LOT te
wheat al Devils Lake points west, as long as
the demand for -four continues to grow as 1t has
hG