The San Francisco call., 1899-10-21
BARRETT DISPLEASED.

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John Barrett displeased with Our people
1 during his tour on this coast as Asiatic COM
mercial expert
He has taken our commercial classes severely to
task and gives them up as victims to obtuseness OF
mind and ethargy of enterprise
This is a mood of mind common to gentlemen who
allnto the habit of considering themselves the whole
thing" They are apt to conclude that indifference
to their treatment OF subject is indifference to the
subject itself, II expert apostle OF trade should
come, telling that expansion OF our commerce
depends on a study Of the moon, that the profits
OF deep water trade are dominated by the sign of
the Zodiac in which we go down to the sea in ships
il could well be charged that don't want
trade because we failed to be enthusiastic over its
lunar zodiacal aspect.
The New York Journal of Commerce voices Mr.
Barretts dspeasure with the coast in a long edi-
oral which swings into the great cycles of COM
mercial development and sees mystery in the natural
process Of producing a surplus and finding
let for it. The trade of this coast has risen with the
increase in the surplus products OF its labor AS far
California is concerned the swell has been more
rapid than in the OF other States because of the
great variety OF our products and resources. New
York had been under exploitation two centuries
nearly before it had volume of external trade equal
to that enjoyed by California the result of fifty
years OF development. Yet the Journal of Com
vocing Mr. Barrett says that until the Pacific
States wake up there will be a poor prospect for
these States to enter into the magnificent heritage
which nature has prepared for them" The nature
Of that heritage is then stated as having been
pointed out by an English writer This Englishman
says: At present the greater part OF the trade be-
tween the United States and China is conducted by
way OF New York and the Suez canal, but we shall
find a ready market for our surplus of iron and
steel manufactures in the development Of railways
and general industry in China and it will be found
not by way OF Suez but by our own vessels sailing
out OF our own ports on the Pacific"
The Journal OF Commerce adds: 'Yet to all this
the business men Of the Pacific States seem to be
singuarly obtuse In his recent tour down the
coast, in the OF which he addressed most Of
the commercial bodies the Hon. John Barrett found
ready and apprecative listeners but failed evoke
the enthusiastic response which readily forth
coming to his appeals in the East"
In his address to the San Francisco Chamber Of
Commerce Mr.. Barrett told us OF two things that
must be done to increase our oriental trade First
we must elect another United States Senator, and,
second must dig the Nicaragua canal. He
pretaced this with the information that New York
does the most OF that trade now, though San Fran
cisco is the nearer seaport
OF Good Hope the distance is 1870 miles; to
Hongkong it is 1880 miles. By the Suez canal it
is Io46o miles to Calcutta and 1910 to Hongkong
From San Francisco to Hong5ong it is 638I miles,
SO that enjoy an advantage OF 1900 miles
over New York by Good Hope to Hongkong and
5729 by Suez. This advantage will be reduced by
more than 5000 miles by the construction OF the
Nicaraguan canal 1t will put New York that much
the Orient but will leave San Francisco right
where she is. Now it may be obtuse in our mer-
chants not to how oriental trade is to be taken
from New York by decreasing her mileage to reach
it. Perhaps the Journal OF Commerce can explain it.
but Mr.. Barrett certainly did not.
There are reasons why California wants the canal
but increase in her oriental trade is not among them
We understand that the profit of commerce lies in
producing greater surplus OF what the Orient wants
and taking more OF the surplus the Orient has to
spare. New York, in spite of greater distance has
that trade now. We may get it by finding out what
the Orient takes from New York and producing it
here. Then we get the advantage OF our shorter
transportation by sea.
But the origin OF commerce being of the earth
earthly, does not seem to concern experts like Mr.
Barrett.