The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-24


10 go into. and I want the house simply
10 understand the situation.
Mr.. Charles W. St0ae-Mr. Speaker, re-
sesEe ne a balance e. OF my Tine vou,s ~
glad 10 have the attention Of the house
for a brief time. If the house under
IL il meets the judgment OF the house.
then amen; la il pass. Rut 10 not want
the house 10 pass this bill under mis-
apprehension.
United States where gold bullion seeks a
market where private assay ofhces and
assayers cannot al very small charge
perform the service and give the value
OF the bullion: so that the establishment
Of an assay office ar Seattle, at Spokane.
at Tacoma, at juneau on the Yukon or at
Portland or any other point Is not neces-
sary 20 enable the producer or holder OF
the bullion 10 ascertain without considera-
able cost the value of his product. And
there is no place in the United States
where the holder of the bullion after ne
has ascertained It's value cannot get as
value ar the mint price, less the cost OF
transportation.
Now. in what I say I want TO measure
my words. and ] say ii upon the informal
ton and authority OF the late director or
about TO say everybody must understand
TO be true II he will stop and think for
minute. Now. why should we establish
reason for 1t save one. ! do not take
into account one way or the other the
$4,000 10 begin the plant or the salaries
of the ASSAY officers. This measure would
make a little office or two or three out
there. That is of little consequence ex-
cept TO the persons who would draw the
Now. why is It that Seattle wants this
office? And she does not want it half
so much as the citizens from my state
want 1t. She wants ii because every
ounce of gold deposited in a government
assay office at Seattle brings the PhIla-
delphia mint price. Now, how much less
is il worth than the Philadelphia mint
treasury department in response TO an
inquiry which sent this morning:
Charges for transportation OF gold from
Seattle to Philadelphia, S3.oo per thou
Mr.. Charles W stone-why does not the
gentleman give the price Of transportation
to the nearest mintP
transportation 10 San Francisco, but the
officers could not give it to me- They
sad they would do so as soon as possible.
! have an unofficial statement that IL is
Mr.. shafroth-It cannot he that
Mr.. Charles ". Stone-Not more than
about . cents.
Mr.. Lewis of Westinghouse % to 25
cents.
Mr. Cannon-I am making these state
ments on the best information / have been
alba to obtain. NV friend here (Mr. Chas.
". Stone) says that the cost of transporta-
ton to San Francisco is % cents thou
sand. my friend over there (Mr. Lewis OF
Washington says % cents a thousand. I
think my friends are mistaken. If the cost
were only - cents a thousand, then parties
would not be half so anxious to get an as
say office ar Seattle as they are. And 1
am not referring especially TO my friends
who represent the locality interested. or
either OF them. because they are not the
most anxious persons to get this office es-
tablished, except as they desire. or course,
to represent their localities.
Now, II there should be established an
assay office at Seattle where gold buIlon
can be deposited at the Philadelphia price,
why should there not be one al Portland?
Why should there not be one at Tacoma?
Why should there not be one at Juneau?
WHY should there not be one at Spokane?
Why should thare not be one at every min
ing town? Why make fish of one and fowl
OF another?
hold in my hand communication-I am
not going TO give anybody's name-address-
ed to me:
at is Important to our interests and we
think those OF the United States, that an
assay office be esta bhshed at Seattle. A
large amount of gold dust will come TO that
point. snuch Of it largely from British pos
sessions. Ii !. is required 10 go TO points
farther East or South. or to San Francisco,
you lose British shipments entirely
Then the writer goes on to give an esti-
mate.
Now. It Is perfectly natural for parties
who write such letters to look at this mat
ter in the light of their own interests. But
lish an assay office. II there is any point
in establishing an assay office for the bene-
fit of the miner. and you want TO get Brit
ish gold Establish II upon the Yukon, at
Circle CITY. There IS where the miner il.
Who nicks up the gold at the Yukon and
transports IL down TO Seattle" The trans
portation company. And when the trans
portation company put II at Seattle, hav-
ing. In most instances. bought II. IL is en-
aided to unload ID at the Philadelphia mint
price. How much is that? Three dollars
and six cents more than the commercial
price at Seattle It Is not the poor miner
who Is TO be benefited.
on. hut You want 10 get British gol1l II
you want to get British gold. put your as
Yukon, and you will get all the gold that IS
produced up there in British territory or
American territory. IL will cost you about
six or seven dollars a thousand 10 trans
port Il 10 the mint but such measure
would relieve the poor miners UP there
working in the frosts OF winter. There IS
OF an assay office up there where it would
really give some relief.
The truth of the matter is that the law
on the subject enacted IN 1879. and now
on our statute books, is wrong. IL pro-
vides that at any United States assay Of
flee the holder OF the bullion may put
down his bullion and Uncle Sam will pay
him the Philadelphia or the San Fran
cisco mint price for ii. l tried 10 have
the law amended at the last session. or ii
may have been al this session. The COM
many Of these assay offices. Our PoTvi-
LIST friends strange To say. who Always
want to help protect the treasury. Hooked
together and 10 man helped TO knock
me out' on that legislation.
They are the greatest fellows on earth
TO pretend one thing and. TO coin an ex-
preston of a constituent OF mine, '.pOr-
tend" another. U.aughter1
Now what are the circumstances con-
nected with this matter? We have seen
what has been the experience OF the past
ard / hope. taking this proposition singly
and alone that we viii nor be induced 20
Involve ourselves In similar unnecessary
expenditures hereafter. l hope we viii
hu'.d 10 more institutions of this char
actsr. Not one % them.
Mr.. Bland-Win the gentleman allow me
an interruption Just theree
Mr.. Cannon-W!th p.easure.
Mr. Bland-WheD the g0lt Is deposited
al the government assay Office. I, belongs
10 the government. does Il not2
Mr. Cannon-C undoubtedly.
Mr.. Bland-Weli, Is IL not as good way
as the issuing of bonds in the Judgment
OF the gentleman from Illinois. 20 secure
gold for ghe government lApplause)
Mr. Cannon--Now. Mr.. Speaker the
gentleman from Missouri knows that the
question he asks has nothing whatever 10
DO w.ta the proposition which IS now pend
ms before he house. ] want 10 say that