Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-09

Pointed Ou5-Diterence IN the
Cost of transportation b y
American and Japanese Vessels.
WASHINGTON. April S.-James j. Hiu.
president Of the Northwestern Railroad
and who is interested largely in the trans
portation TO the Orient has written a
letter to "A western Senator. in which he
points out the possibilities Of trade in
China and Japan. and suggests that tar
in duties De SO adjusted as not to prevent
or cut of trade with the countries across
the Pacific. lie says;
The Asiatic trade is of the greatest i'm
portance TO this country and particularly
TO such portions of il as are interested in
raising wheat and continues:
"A year ago last fall wheat sold for
from eighteen TO twenty-five cents Der
bushel i'm the Palouse country. south OF
Spokane Falls. and this year IL has sold
for from siNty-dve to seventy cents. About
three years ago 1 sent an agent TO China
and Japan 10 investigate thoroughly what
steps could be taken to introduce the gen.
eraI use of wheat -four in those countries
as against their own rice. and found that
it was simply "a matter Of price. 1 then
took up the consideration of building large
steamers for that trade designed TO carry
cargoes of flour or grain at low rates.
found we could build the ships, but owing
10 the sailors union fixing the wages OF
sailors ar $50 "a month. and engineers and
other ship employees at about twice the
vases paid by European steamers. 10
would Doe impossible for us TO compete with
the British. German, Italian. Scandinavian
ships already on the Pacific ocean.
After the war with China the Japanese
appropriated a large amount of their war
indemnity for subsidy TO their merchant
marine and we opened negotiations with
the General Steamship Company of Japan,
which is owned by 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 their
sailors S. a month. Mexican. or. $3.50 in
gold enabling them 10 hire twelve good
sailors for the wages of one American
sailor. After some protracted and difficult
negotiations we concluded a contract with
them for q line of steamers between Chi
rsse and japanese ports and Seattle. on
condition that they would carry flour from
4 A-FA soNAlA 10 +AlN 4ANttNNNN hNA - az 80
a ton. as against from 81 TO IS a ton for
merry charged from west coast ports in
the United States. This low rate fixed rates
for an other lines between the Pacific coast
and Asia. and has resulted in carrying out
about 100000 bushels of wheat, or its
equivalent I'm flour from the last crop.
There IS left. 7 understand about 100000
bushels 90 move between now and the
next harvest
Thus YOU viii see we would have been
able TO md new mouths. which have never
before used wheaton bread. 10 take the
entire California. Oregon and Washington
wheat crop out of the European markets.
This viii reduce the amount going to Eu-
rope dhcU: twenty per cent. ana IN bu: r.
els about 100000. three times tae guam
tity shipped TO Europe from the Argen-
tine during the past crop year The prices
of wheat this year as compared with last,
are about twenty 10 twenty-five cents
higher. and I think it may be said that
from fifteen 90 eighteen cents of this rise
is clearly due TO the withdrawal Of all the
Pacific wheat from the European markets.
see TN this mornings mark, reports. a
telegram that European ships are loading
with barley. rye and merchandise from
san Francisco TO Europe after waiting
four months for carsoes of wheat AMI
that no more wheat will 20 TO Europe
from the Pacific coast The only way we
could h-ing about this great reduction in
the cost of transportation of -four TO Asia
was 10y divertius the tea and mating bus
mess which has hithortofore gone mainly
ON English ships from Asia direo- to New
York and bringing these commodities 10
the Pacific coast. and by a low rate OF
transportation inland by rail TO distribute
the commodities TO points between Mime
sofa and New York.
have given YOU the details So that You
Will understand the situation ami be able
TO see that unless these sh'rs cen bring
their main cargoes of merchandise to the
Pacific ports 81 rates that VIII compen-
safe them for thu traffic, the business must
20 ashore at New York and the rates on
-four 20 Asiatic ports will be again at the
o.d figure or 10 advance of about nifty
cents a barrel. which would. i'm my judg-
mtut. destroy the business tina, has Just
begun 10 be btilt up with that country.
The province Of Annoy alone which Is near
the coast. contains over eighty millions
OF people, and atitwenty pounds of flour
per capita per anrum, would consume the
product Of forty millions bushels
OF wheat. The large district of
Tien Tsin and Shanghai. both cas-
fly accessible from the sea would con-
sumo about as much more as soon as the
trade can be fully opened. 1t is no. out
side the range of possibility that we covld
ship wheat from Devils Lake to the Paci-
dc coast for this trade We certainly
could at siX,y-fve cents a bushel cost for
the wheat at Devils Lake, or points west.
as long as the demand for Hour continues
TO grow as IL has for the last six months.