The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-11

Tea Inspector Palmer. If Tacoma. was
II Seattle yesterday getting a general
idea Of the t@a impo-.ations ny the Mp
pom fusen haisna. and as h. said. Try
ing 10 clear ~ some ~ he fog which
seems 70 have arisen over the exans,a-
ton o. tea cargoes which happen - come
70 this country by .he way OF Puget
sound
Mr.. Palmer said that while he was To-
Gated al Tacoma, that was no reason Ter
believing that he was - discriminate n
FAVOR OF teas received Al Tacoma as
against those coming in a. Seattle, Port
land or any other port He proposed to
inspect teas. and with the sole vlsw OF
expedlting business and allowing Of the
quickest dispatch in the matter or trans
shipment. So far as has duties We're con-
cerned. teas could come n at any port,
and the talk that Tacoma was the only
place through which they could pass was
ali nonsense. probably gotten up Tor ef-
feet
The business of inspection was q new
one, and there had naturally been some
slight delays al first, but now everything
az Tacoma was going along Ike clock
work, and he thought there would be no
delay in handling the cargoes OF the
Japan steamers ana allowing them 70 be
forwarded as quickly as If they were re-
ceived al Tacoma. The inspection rooms
had been fitted up and the teas were
passing through rapidly and in the order
OF their receipt Those from Seattle
would be tested as promptly as those ar
irving at the Tacoma docks. and with the
facilities for communication by rail. boat.
telegraph or telephone ne did not think
anything would be gained by his having
the inspections at Seattle.
Mr.. Palmer said that he was aware
that considerable talk had arisen over
the matter. but he was not much con-
cerned over that. He said he was anx-
ions to give the Japan steamships as good
service as the vessels from the Orient
in Tacoma We're receiving. and If it was
found that there were delays or stop
pages in the handling of tea, he was
perfectly willing TO come 10 Seattle and
make the examinations here. OF course,
he had the testing apparatus at Tacoma,
but If II was found that the service here
was not of the best. he was perfectly
willing 10 come over 10 Seattle and make
his examinations here. although as mat
ters were now he had to inspect teas
coming by the way of Portland and SUI
mas. He wished il 10 be known that so
far as he was concerned he wanted to
treat everybody alike. If idle reports had
gone abroad 10 the effect that II was
only through Tacoma that teas could be
received. it had not come from any Of
the officers of the customs district, but
probably from irresponsible parties who
are addicted to such work.
While Mr.. Pamer's statements IRE en-
tirely frank and intended TO be con-
vincing, there still remains to operate
against Seattle mot TO mention Portland
discrimination In the matter OF time.
IL the inspector is to make his examina-
lions in Tacoma. Expedition in the mat
ter OF dispatch is one of the most i'm
portant Of trade factors in connection
with importations. and particularly In re-
laiion TO commodities that are subject to
speculation. as is tea. The tea trains'
are rushed across the country as fast as
wheels and steam can carry them, and
To this feature OF raiiroading importers
have speculation 10 thank that the Pan
anna route Is not considered III the COM
petition for the handling of the crop and
delivering IL in the Eastern market. A
difference OF five hours or even less
means a preference on the part of the
importer for the line affording the quick
est transit from the point Of transship-
ment TO its destination. Tacoma under
existing circumstances enjoys this adVan-
tage over Seattle. and even a greater ad-
vantage over Portland. which is Jour
ney of several hours. with limited means
Of reaching the importation or receiving
the samples sent for inspection. There
are a number Of importing and distribut-
ing houses in both Seattle and Portland
and but one house in Tacoma handling
tea in a limited wholesale quantity San
Francisco divides the territory south OF
Portland with Portland and the last
named town reaches across the Wash
ington line. receiving a small portion OF
the business north Of the Columbia river
the rest of the business come To Sc
attic. Before an inspectorship was estab-
iished on Puget sound the tea cargoes
were shipped across the continent in
bond 10 the point OF destination. When
the Puget sound lnspectorssip was estab-
ushed Il was partially with the idea Of
| facilitating the distribution Of the i'm
port for local consumption. and instead
Of doing this the measure has contrib
uted 70 a vexatious delay So FAR as the
efficiency Of the service is concerned. in
relation 10 us intent. the inspection
might as well he made at Port Townsend.
where there is TO wholesale business, or
very limited Al least, and few importers.
The whole matter Is one of rivalry. Ia
coma needs another Federal officer who
will spend his per diem there; Seattle
does not hut IL requires an adjustment
| Of an act that under It's, present inter
probation may operate against ii COM
mercialiy.