The San Francisco call., 1898-03-19
GETTING TRADE
 BY TRICKY WAYS
Victoria Agents Are Working Hard in Australian
 Cities.
Secretary Filcher of the Local Board Refutes Several False
 Statements.

The headquarters of the State Board Of Trades Alaska Bureau of Information continues to attract attention. Prospec- tive Klondikers are dropping in from all points and those in charge are kept busy supplying information to the inquirers Among the visitors Yesterday was w. S McGrew of Pueblo, Colo. MT. McGrew is a prominent citizen at home, and is here as the advance guard of party or about thirty from Pueblo who will start soon by way of San Francisco for point al- ready determined on near the headwaters of Copper River Arrangements are be- ing made by Manager J. A. Pitcher to advertise the bureau in such sections of the East South and Southwest as he believes will prove the most fertile held He says San Francisco has advantages which, if properly set forth, Will insure a fair share of the Alaska travel coming this way The inquiries at the bureau cover very large scope, running all the way from the cost of a dog to the price of a steamboat. Most inquiries, now ever pertain to the question of outhtting, the dates of sailing from this port, char acter of boats in the service ana the prlce of passage and freight.
 Recent information from Australia IS to the effect that agents from British Columbia are working hard Tn the An tipodes endeavoring to draw the travel from that part of the world to the Klon- dike by the way of Victoria. All kinds of arguments are used to effect the de- end. but truthful. In answer to some Of the arguments thus made MT. Pitcher yes terday sent the following to H. A. Gallo way of Sydney, N. 5. w.:
 I cannot but be amused at the nerve of Victorias representatives in proelailning so loudly that outfitters for the Rlondlke ayold the tariff by buying 3 thelF nae 6nS at ema portion of those going to Alaska are destined for Dawson a or Jns by buying at the city of Victoria for the reason that Victoria secures her outfttng supplies almost exclusiyeIy Iron rom the United States, and largely rom san fran- cisco Dealers consequently pay the tartn, and of course. charge it back to the outhtter. so that in the end American goqds Teaching the British Territory have to pay the duty. and the party who takes them in pays it whether he buys from British or an American port There is nothing at all in this proposition. Further than this, San Francisco is much the larger city and is natural base or such supplies The merchants here are accustomed to dealing in miners outfits and they know business ever since the foundation of this city The large number of dealers here induce com petition and better goods and this competi- ton insures the outitter the lowest price and the best results. Instances are not wanting where people from the East after arriving at a Northern port have gone to the extra expense of coming here for their supplies and they have Victoria knows when he gets an outfltter that it is his last chance north. and that he is not likely to turn back and taking advantage of the fact that he has his customer in corner he makes him pay for his cupidity:
 As proof that this city supplies the Victoria duty on the goods they receive, which is nee essariiy charged back to the customers. cite you to the fact that vessels are leaving here every few days loaded for the Victoria mar
 We know that the honest Australian Is lia- ble to be influenced by Victoria's representa- tives who are on the ground. and yet we feel it is a duty we owe to them well as to ourselves to impress them firmly and em- phatically that of all the supply points on the Pacific Coast of America for obtaining out fits for Alaska or any other country, San Fran cisco is the great commercial mart and the great center of trade of the West Coast of N--~ A