The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-09
PROTEST AGAINST FREE COAL.
Whafcom Hoard of Trade shows the
Damage IL Would Do This State

Special Dispatch 20 the PaSt-FnteIH.sencer
WHATCOM. Jan. S.-Tne Board Of Trade
last hlsnt al It's meeting framed protest
against TIE Nee ccal clause Of the new
treaty With Canada. and ordered the sacrc-
taTy 10 forward 1t 10 the Representa- lives
at Washington.
Supt- j. j. Donovan. Of the Blue canyoa
Company. stated that there were g go5
miners IN the state that would be- atYectss!
nnfaForaely by the proposed clause and
II was shown that this state Ia the only one
ihas would be affected materially. Par
ilcuiariy would this county feel The effects
Tor the discussion showed thai the new
treaty would have the effect OF closing all
the small mines in the state ana storrainl
prospecting A a new railroad is project
ed INTO the Mount Baker country With one
or It's immediate objects the development az
its coal fields. botn the railroad ard the
development would be stopped and the Blue
Canyon mine and TWO or three local pros
poets would suffer
The market for Washington coal Is in
California. and the competitors Cor that
market are the British Columbia mines.
In lSsS British Columbia s<AQplied Califor-
MA with 5Sl,Sa2 tones. and Washington
sent l2S.sf3 tons. outside OF the "a .2s3 tons
shipped by the southern Pacific from It's
own mines. The expectations to cai.for-
MIA by British Columbia was iive-sigaths
Of her outp1,-
British Columbia underseils Washington
becauSe she employs Oriental labor and
has shipping advantages given her by law.
The comoN mine. our principal competitor.
employs s9s men. sl5 of these ar. orientals
getting from 81 70 sl-&s per day. il are
boys, and the rest are whites getting min
ers' wages. With free coal clause IN tho
treaty cheap Oriental labor must take the
place OF the present force Of white miners
in Washington or the mines must close.
Al present not an Oriental Is woI Ring K,
Washington coal mlre. The negro miners
in this state get white mems wages.
The Canadian mines have a great aayan-
tage IN shipping regulations They can
use the Norwegian ana Japanese tramp
steamers in sending coal 10 California, and
their rates are 81. 35 per ton 20 San Fran
PEELED by law to use American bottoms in
shipping between coastwise points, and Ii
costs 81 80 10 81 10 per ton for the same
voyage the tramp steamer makes. The diff
ference Is largely made Zip IN the difference
between the wages paid to American sail
ors and to the Jaos. This difference In
freight rates just about equa!ed the duty
OF 7s cents ner ton. Take of that duty
ana the Canadians have the field mainly
10 themselves
Ii was shown that the lowering Of the
duty had no effect on the price Of foreign
coal TO Americans The Mckinley bill duty
was - cents per ton TIE Wilson bill re-
dured Ii to ~ cents. The price went down
for six months OF ". ard then wen. up 20
the present rate The effect OF the duty on
Washington mines was also shown by thu
report Of State Mine Inspector Norton
Under the 7'-cent tariff the output Of the
IONS Tnder the se~cent tariff the yearly
output fell 20 3sz 60 tors. and the Dingiey
tariff Of 50 cents raise. u Z. $40. Sif tons.
The memorial wifi be fo5-sar9ei at once
10 the senators and representatives from
this state.