The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-15
SELL TO THE ORIENT
JAMES j. HILL RECOMMENDS TRANS
PACIFIC MARKETS
He Says That American Comm cree
Has Practically Ignored It's
Chance to Turn an Honest Penny
Across the Pacific 0cean-Big
Figures Are Possible There.

President James J. Hill, of the Great
Northern, returned to st. Ps II yester-
day from his recent absence of a fort
night in New York and Washington.
While in the capital Mr.. Hill was af-
forded an opportunity to present some
valuable information to both the leg
islatiVe and executive branches of the
federal government in regard to ex-
ports from the United States to ORR
entail countries. Since Arson Burlin-
game, more tran a generation ago.
penetrated tie walls of the Chinese
empire and brought it into commercial
intercourse with this hemisphere, little
note has been taken of the possibilities
of trade with the Orient, having for
Its basis the disposition of American
products among the people beyond the
Pacific. This country seems to have
been content to secure the offerings of
the aromatic Kingdoms without regard
TO the turning of an honest penny in
the other direction. Apparently this
has been an instance in which the
Yankee was under the influence of an
Oriental dope" Transcontinental lines
were excellent embellishments of the
maps of our country, and have been
long pointed to with pride" as courses
through which the currents of the East
might distribute much of usefulness
ana novelty over our land 1t has only
been within few years that the forces
OF commerce have lodged themselves
upon the other side of the Pacific with
suInclent dignity to command notice
some or the results of American enter
prise in this direction came to light re-
GENTLY through Mr.. Hills statements
In Washington concerning freight ship
ments destined to Japan, China, Corea,
australia, Java, India, the Philippine
Islands, the Straits Settlements and ST.
ber1a, by the way of the Northern Pa
cl1lc railway and Northern Pacific
steamship line and the Great Northern
and Nippon Yusen Kaisha.
Ihe figures Mr.. Hill supplied repre-
sented the commerce between July, 1896.
and July, 1897, and in their magnificent
proportions surprised both the congress
ana the executive. Without at the
present time going into details, 1t NAV
De SAID that the volume represented ap-
pfox1mately 260, 0,000, 900 pounds of our
products, and among the contributors
were the Industrial promoters of
twenty-five states east of the Missis-
slpp1 Which, indeed, supplied the bulk
of the exports, and one of the most
conspicuous features of the exhibit
was the evidence of the DEVELOPMENT
or the manufacturing and commercial
instinct of the people of the South
Glancing over Mr.. HilPs statement and
commenting upon this splendid show
ing OF the South as a productive center.
q reporter asked Mr. Hill yes
terday how he accounted for the ability
OF that section to SO far eclipse the
old manufacturing strongholds of the
eastern and middle states
account for it in this way." he
said There is the saving in raw ma
terlal, which they have right at hand.
Ihen there is the difference in the fuel
Dill, Which is not one-third what it is
In New Engla' d. Then, again. the
wages are 30 Der cent lower The con-
sequence is" he added, that South
Carolina and other Southern states are
supplying vast amount of the surplus
for export and New England is not get
ting any of it."
Mr.. Hill was asked for the result of
his observations regarding the condf-
tlons or general business; whether they