The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-15

oEATTL&y HRIUAYs DEfI. lOs
ADVICE HAOM VICTORIA.
The Victoria Times telicitates the
merchants Of British Columbia on their
increasing trade with the Yukon. II pro-
fesses 10 be satisfied with the admins.
tration Of the American customs on
Lynn canal. and says that In conse-
auence Of the removal of obstacles here
tofore interposed by United States au-
thorities "trafiic Is gradually finding its
way to the quarter where It naturally
belongs. ana distributing itself among
the merchants Of British Columbia" II
adds this gratuitous advice:
Now that the merchants Of the state
OF WASHINGTON realise that II Is utterly
impossible for them 10 permanently hold
the trade which they % eievsrly grasped
In It's infancy. surely they will have tho
good sense TO withdraw the opposition
which th.y have from the beginning
placed in the way Of the reference OF the
boundary question 10 an impartial tn
bunal Of arbitration"
The fundamental error Of the Victoria
paper lies In the superstition that. be-
cause British Columbia trade with the
Klondike has grown. the American bust
ness has fallen OF. and that Puget sound
merchants are therefore In a ripe nood
for concessions. It's friendly counsel to
its American neighbors and competitors
Sits down to this: Once you had nearly
all the trade. You got II because the
tariff regulations favored you. Now the
customs difficulties have been straight
cned out. and we are getting a eonsid-
erable share OF the klond!ke trade
Therefore you ought 10 consent TO give
us . free port. or make an absolute
cession Of q deep-water harbor. SO We
can get It all. The American jobbers
will not be deeply or favorably i'm
pressed with this most choice Canadian
logic.
But how far are the Canadians cor
rect in their contention that they are re
gaining the trade OF the Northwest tar
ritory? The Post-inieiligencer recently
printed official customs figures showing
thu. there was almost an equal division
OF Kiondike ,rafiic over White pass be-
tween Americans and Canadians. But
something further ~ 20 be said: Three
fourths Of the imports into the Kiondike
are Of American made goods. In other
words a large proportion OF the trade
OF Victoria and Vancouver is in
American articles, The shipment tn
Dawson OF American goods on which the
duty has been paid at Victoria is now
one OF the features OF the northern ,rar-
fic. II If more than doubtful II the
proportion NJ canadian-grown or made
articles sold at Dawson IL greater than
II Was two years ago.
In the last analysis then. the United
States sells Just IA much 10 Northwest
territory as ever II IL f. true that the
Victoria aud Vancouver business with
the North has recently grown--and I, Il
true~-she problem fer f'nget sound IA
10 devise sogue means hy which II may
sell 10 the merchants % these towns
that which 'hgy tn turn sell Ia the Yu-
kon. The tonhiax trade Of Seattle with
Victoria ard Vancouver ia considerable
No reasnn exists why either should pre-
fer 10 buy I'm San FRANCHISE. " hIch IL
Puget sounds only coast cosupetigoc.
n cur netrhhar. ,he Time. assumes
that because Victoria has gained s0tyse
northern traffic. Seattle has loss il /,
has received a nsos, erroneous sFrrTcw-
trade With Alaska In foods and provis-
ions Is Tar larger than ever before. not
exoeesins the two phenomenal previous
years. and the volause 81 LIS traffic via
the White pass Is to-. much greater
Its sales II machinery. thawiag ma
chimes. steam hsssssrs. hydrautis' caifi.s
and the Ike have been heavy. ami {,
retains sss fuii share. we thiak. - the
provision ard clothing trade Formerly
the Alaska and kfondsae business ~as
confined strictly 10 the bare necessities .
row IL has enlarged So as IN inc 'ats
the comforts ana esewancses % life, Two
years since no miner ever thought ~
taking north more thar tast enough O.
sAk aad wear and the rough implements