The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-09
The Trade of the Pacific.

contrast with its method OF dealing with
all other matters, political and econ
omic. The peculiar fact is that this
particular subject is one upon which
the people of Portland have the least
reason to graduate themselves. Will
| fully closing its eyes to the existence of
conditions familiar TO everyone else the
I Oregonian refuses to see the decline of
| Portland as a shipping point, and con-
| tinues to publish articles describing the
| growth of its foreign commerce, claim
| ing in the teeth of the record that It
is holding its position and even gaining
upon it's rivals.
In doing this. however. 1t is necessary
for 1t not only TO ignore conditions, but
to willfully misstate facts It's pres
ent argument now is. that while Port
land is exporting little coming from
points outside Of Oregon, its commerce
is OF the more value because it con-
ofseo ut"pHe 'hihtiy VI oitttitS piouut-
cd within the borders of the state; and
that consequently every dollar which
turned into the channels of local trade
In this connection the Oregonian says:
less than 2 per cent. were products
brought from beyond the confines of
the state" II this statement were lit
orally true, as it is not, IT would be
the most striking illustration of the
ceased to be a commercial competitor
with the more favorably situated Puget
sound cities. 1t has simply declined to
port through which the products Of it's
own state are marketed.
But this claim, and it's consequent de-
auctions as to the value OF the export
trade. arising from the fact that the
tributed within the state. are not true
The exports from Portland are almost
| entirely wheat and -four or these very
large share, probably more than half, is
Of wheat raised entirely in the state of
Washington. The o. r. & ". was the
first line to reach the wheat fields of
Eastern Washington. and that system
has n perfect network of railroads
through the Palouse country and the
counties south of the Snake river. the
granary OF the state. At one time ev-
cry hushel OF grain raised In those coun-
ties was shipped through Portland. and
to this day a very large share of the
crop still goes In that channel, because
OF the O. Il Il Ms superior facilities.
This grain is not handled by Portland
merchants; nor does the city receive any
more profit from it's passing through Its
borders than Il would from like guam
tIty Of products from Eastern looms or
factories. Agents of British grain deal
'ft WV NAtN AAatA1 anu AAAt tAAIN rfEfH
Of the vessels which take the crops
away. Portlands prof, Is confined to
what Is paid for stevedoring. for tow
agc charges FOR bringing ships M the
narrow and tortuoas channel. and the
head-money extracted by its notorious
sailors boarding house keepers.
Again, The oregoninn says that (, is
handling over swo-thlrts Of the ens.-.
wheat crop 81 the Paclae Northwest
AZ The Washington wheat crop Is con-
siderably in excess of that Of oregon.
this statement fatty c0ntradlcts ITS pre-
vious one thar is trade is now con
I fined 90 the products az the state. Ac-
[ ecptng the statement as true. Il would
appear that Oregon has lost one-thlrd
q her wheat trade; FOR a few years
ago all the grain Of the Northwest was
+ exported through Portland
The oresonlan, while admitting ,ha,
The statistics show tina, the commerce
I 81 Puget sound IS out OK all compari-
son srea1er than that % tbs seaport up
+ the creek. tries BY innuendo 20 leave
F the impression that its magnitude i
due altogether 90 the shipments through
these ports % cotton and other prod
ucts brought across the continent. Cot
ton Is az item. and not an insignificant
one, in the exports OF Puget sound:
but leaving that out Of consideration.
the local exports Of Puget sound are