The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-10-18
CALIFORNIA SENATOR
ON OUR EXPANSION.
Astounding Growth Of the Trans
Pacific Trade.
Reasons Why The Pacific Coast Viii
Cast Its Electoral Votes for
Mckinley and Roosevelt.
(By George G. Perkins, United States
Senator from California;

(By George G. Perkins, United States
Senator from California;
No portion of the country is more i'm
mediately concerned in sustaining the ex-
pansion policy of President Mckinley
than the States of the Pacific coast.
While the South produces the cotton
which is being shipped in such enormous
quantities to the orient, while other sec
lions are sending manufactures of every
| description, the coast is sending across
the Pacific it's w -four, fruits and man
ufactures. Besides this, we are handling
the ships in which the exporting is done.
Our own manufactures have ranged from
mining and other machinery to a com
| pleted five thousand ton steel man-of.
war for the Japanese government. Every
line Of industry has benefited and we ex-
pect by the establishment Of closer com
mercial relations to increase both our
population and prosperity.
The Pacific coast has long been on the
edge of the country. To-day it is the
center of the American transpacifc trade,
We have reached out beyond for bust.
ness. We can control the trade of the
Pacific. That is why we are all expan.
sionists.
The growth of the transpacifc trade
is a matter of very recent years. Not
more thar ten years ago the Canadian
Pacific Company established its first line
of transpacific steamships. Prior to that
there were six steamers plying from San
Francisco in the Japan and China line.
They brought from the orient tea, mat
ting, silk, rice and the endless line of
articles that are imported from Japan
and China. They carried back silver in
the form Of Mexican dollars and bullion,
some provisions, and flour which was tax
en- along for ballast as well as to fill up
the cargoes. The establishment Of the
Canadian line-primarily for military
purposes and secondarily for traffic,
threw q good many San Franciscans in
to mourning. To them, they thought, the
end had come. San Francisco was to
lose it's Asiatic business. Then followed
in rapid succession the establishment of
new lines from Portland, the Puget
sound ports and San Diego.
Our merchants awoke. Instead Of six
steamers plying from San Francisco the
number has been added to. The demand
now is for larger boats and better boats,
and the trade from the Pacific slope is
many times what it once was.
The incoming cargoes are much what
they formerly were, but the exports in
clude every conceivable article Of Ameri-
can produce and manufacture-cotton
goods, electrical goods, bicycles, cotton
literally by the %trainload, alcohol by the
trainload for use in the manufacture of
smokeless powder in Japan, agricultural
implements, canned fruits, canned vege-
tables, canned meats, almost everything
that the mind can conceive. And the de-
mand on the steamship companies is al.
ways for room and then for more room.
What is true of the Asiatic trade is
equally true Of the Australian. The
Oceanic Steamship Company is about to
add three 6,000-ton vessels to it's fleet
and to begin steamer connection with
Tahiti. I am assured that the available
freight carrying facilities Of the Austria
liam steamers are engaged for months
ahead.
These are the material evidences of
trade expansion. The sentiment of this
Pacific coast is overwhelmingly in favor
of closer business relations with the orr
ent. We do not favor giving up the Fla
waiian Islands, which have been devel-
oped by California capital; we do not
favor MI. Bryan's policy Of su%rrendering
the Philippines.
GEORGE G. PERKINS.
San Francisco, Cal.