The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-05

This produced CONSERVATION among the
vast crowd of rushers nearly all of whom
are from the American side, as well as
among the Seattle merchants. The situa-
ton has had the very serious and con-
| tinued consideration of the Seattle Cham
ber of Commerce, which has vigorously
denounced the policy of the Canadian
Government against Americans by levy
ing this onerous duty on mems small
! personal baggage, in addition TO levying a
ROYALTY OF 10 and 20 per cent on the out
put OF all mines, and reserving half the
claims discovered for itself.
But the Victoria merchants are feeling
good and are getting quite an avalanche
of trade that they would not otherwise
have secured. Within three or four days
Americans who had about every dollar
invested in their outfits have sold them
and abandoned the trip in a disheartened
way up there on meeting this new imposi-
| tion. One little local illustration will
show how this tariff imposition may af-
feet the trade of San Francisco, as we'll as
of other Pacific Coast cities. In few
days the schooner Pitcairn Is going to sail
from here to Dyea with one of the many
local expeditions. About ninety are now
registered.
| 1t was stated yesterday that about sixty
| OF them, on learning that there would be
duty OF 35 per cent on the average to
pay on their outfits and supplies if bought
here, have decided that they will buy in
Victoria, where the Pitcairn will put in,
Each man will spend about 5000, and
thus on this one expedition San Fran
cisco loses $4,000 worth of trade which
the Canadian Government has forced into
the hands of the Canadians.
But this is not the SUPPORT of entry
question itself. 1t merely has a very
close relation to 1t and furnishes much of
reason and justification for the indigna-
ton.
Until few days ago Juneau was the
only port Of entry on the route to the
gold helds, and no foreign vessel may
land at any other than a port OF entry.
Juneau is nearly a hundred miles from
Dyea, to where nearly all the travel and
freighting for the mines now goes direct
without stopping at Juneau. Before last
week Canadian vessel with freight and
passengers for the Klondyke would have
had to discharge at Juneau and the
freight and passen ers would have been
transferred to local American craft for
transportation to Dyea, while an Ameri-
can vessel from San Francisco or Seattle
could discharge directly at Dyea.
This would have preserved to American
shipping almost monopoly of the busi-
ness, as a Canadian steamer running from
Victoria would be greatly handicapped IN
compe tition with American vessels.
Keeping the transportation in Ameri-
can vessels would have tended strongly to
keep the outtitting trade in the American
ports, from which they sailed. in spite of
the Canadian tariff.
But now Canadian vessels may ply be-
tween Victoria and Dyea. lanoing at the
latter place on even terms with American
vessels, and Canadian vessels are rushing
into the trade and leaving Victoria loaded
down with passengers and with supplies
bought in Canada to save the duty.
This is taking the transportation OF
thousands OF people away from American
vessels, and with it is naturally going
share OF the trade.
The Canadian Government has thus