The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-05
UNCLE SAM HAS OPENED THE
GATE AT DYEA.
A Mighty Protest Against Making Dyea
Port of Entry Will Soon Be
Heard Here.

Our own Government has just dealt q
vigorous blow at the trade CT San Fran
cisco and the Pacific Coast of the United
States, and in favor of the Canadians. by
handing over a great share of the great
and growing Yukon trade o the business
and shipping interests of British Columbia.
Leading local merchants are just begin
ming to realize that his is and is to be the
effect of the order making Dyea sub port
of entry, which the Secretary of he Treas
ury kindly issued the other day in re-
sponse to a simple request from agents OF
the Canadlsn Pacific Company and other
business interests across the northern
border.
A large portion if not the bulk of the
great and to- be-greater Yukon trade is in
volved in the situation, and leading local
merchants, who are alive to the i'm
portsnce of this trade to San Francisco
and to the necessity for this City's looking
after its business interests, will very soon
have the matter before the Chamber OF
Commerce and other similar bodies fol
action.
About week ago it was first reported
that the Dominion Government would
rigidly exact heavy tariff duties on the
outfits OF all miners comia into the Ca
madam side of the Yukon. When the rush
began the Yukon trade assumed qui {
enormous proportions.
Several thousand miners spending on
an average 5000 or more for outfits and
supplies to take into the country meant a
retail trade amounting to hundreds OF
thousands. The large amounts of mer-
chandise to be shipped in for trade made
another big item. The travel was a great
thing to the shipping interests.
Seattle became the chief Quitting GEN.
ter, with Juneau a close and jealous sec.
ond. Portland and other cities of the
Northwest did lively business. In two
weeks the Yukon outfits and supplies sold
in San Francisco at retail to individuals
and to retail merchants of the Northwest
by wholesalers here have added some
hundreds of thousands of dollars to the
trade of this City, besides booming the
shipping trade as it has not been doomed
in generation.
The Victoria merchants naturally en-
tered vigorously into the fierce competi-
ton for this supply trade and they ap-
Ottawa to come to their assistance by
coll citing duty on all American goods
that went into the Canadian territory.
The Government, quick 10 protect and
foster its own, ordered out big and ac-
tive force of deputy customs collectors to
see that no pound OF bacon got into the
Klondyke without paying a high pro-
tective tax if it did not come from the
Canadian side. As all the army pouring
into the Klondyke merely crossed mar
row strip of country in going from Juneau
and Dyea into Canad ian territory collect
ors were ordered to proceed to the boun-
Diary just beyond Chlcoot Pass and to
collect the duty along the trails.
The Seattle merchants at once sent up
vigorous protest and telegraphed on July
30 10 the Collector of Customs at Victoria
to know if the report were true. The re-
ply was: "Duty will be collected on min
ers' outfits in every individual case" 1t
is learned that the duty will be collected
on every poor miners little stock OF
clothes. beans. bacon, tools, ETC.. unless
they are bought in Canada and the owner
has a certificate to that effect.