The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-09

WASHINGTON. April s.-Janes J. Hnl.
president Of the Great Northern railroad
and also interested largely IN tramsporta-
ton TO the Orient. has written letter 10
"A Western senator In which ne points out
the possibilities for trade in China aud
Japan and suggests that tariff duties DC
so adjusted as not 20 prevent trade with
the countries across the Pacific President
Eili says.
The Asiatic trade is Of the great
est Importance 70 this country and
particularly 10 such portions OF Il as are
interested IN raising wheat" and con-
tinues.
"A year ago last fall wheat sold FOR
from Is 10 = cents per busheI in the Po-
louise country. south OF Spokane, and this
year IL has sold from e. TO 20 cents
About three years ago l sent an agent
10 China and Japan TO investigate thor
oughly what steps could be taken to in
tfoduce the general use OF wheat -four in
those countries as against their own rice
and found that IL was simply a matter Of
price
i then took up the consideration OF
building large steamers fer that trade
and decided 10 carry cargoes of -four and
grain al low rates. / found we could
buiid the ships. but owing 10 the sailors
union hxing the wages OF sailors al so a
month and engineers and other ships en-
ployes at about twice the wages paid by
European steamers 81 would be impossible
Tor Us To compete with the English Ger
man. italian and Scandinavian ships al
ready on the Pacific ocean.
After the war with China the japanese
appropriated a large amount for a sub
sidy 10 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
n ha hF ha<r a NJ
their sailors. They pay their sailors S a
month Mexican. or $50 III gold. enabling
them TO hire tweiye good sailors for the
wages Of one American sailor.
After some protracted and difficult ne
gotiatlons We concluded a contract with
them for line Of steamers between Chi
nese and japanese ports and Seattle on
condition that they would carry -four from
the Puget sound 10 the Asiatic ports at g
a ton against from s. TO s. a ton formerly
charged from west coast ports In the
United States.
This low rate fixed the rate for all other
9ines between the Pacific coast and Asia
and has resulted In carrying out about 2s-
0eH10 bushels OF wheat or Its equivalent
in -four. from the last crop. There Is lsft.
] understand about 5.000.oco bashcls be-
tween now and the next harvest
Thus you viii sec we have been able TO
find new mouths which have never before
used wheaton bread. 20 take the entire
California. oregon and Washington wheat
crop ont Of the European markets. This
Will reduce the amount going to Europe
about - per cent. and IN bushels about 81
90 eoa-three times the quantity shipped 20
Europe from Argentine during the past
year
The price Of wheat this year as com
pared with last Is about 20 to . cents high
er and I think II may he said taat from
Is 70 Is cents OF this rise is Clearly due to
the withdrawal OF all the Pacific wheat
from the European markets I see in this
mornings market report a telegram that
European ships are loading with barley.
rye and merchandise from San Francisco
for Europe, after waiting for months for
cargoes of wheat, and that no more wheat
win 90 20 Europe from the Pacific coast.
The only way we could bring about this
great reduction IN cost or transportation
az -four TO Asia was by diverting the tea
and mating business which has hereto
fore gone mainly on English ships from
Asia direct 10 New York. and carrying
these commodities 10 the Pacific coast at