The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-08
SEATTLE SEES A CHANCE
TO GET HAWAIIAN TRADE AWAY
FROM SAN FRANCISCO.
The Golden Gate City's Plan to Cut out
Fasteners Gives an Opening to the
Sound.

SEATTLE, Wash, March 26.-Seattle
has an opportunity to grasp and hold
the lions share of the trade with Ha-
wall, in the opinion of some of the
shreWdest business and railroad men in
the city. The opportunity has been ere
ated by the action of the Southern Pa
cihc in cancelling its low rates on mer-
chandiSe from the East to Honolulu
in recent dispatch to the post-In-
telligencer it was stated that the
southern Pacific would hereafter
charge Eastern shippers the regular
transcOntinental rates to San Francisco
on all shipments to Honolulu Mean
while, the Great Northern and the
Northern Pacific are prepared to make
such low rates on through business in
conjunction with such lines of steamers
as may be operated between Seattle and
Honolulu as will, it is believed, result in
bringing a great bulk of the Hawaiian
business this way.
Local Wholesale merchants and rail
road men believe that if Seattle acts
quickly her jobbing houses can secure a
sufnclently large volume of business as
TO make more profitable than ever the
operation of steamers between Seattle
and Honolulu, despite the fact that in
the absence of sugar refinery here re-
turn cargoes for a direct line are hard
are thoroughly informed regarding the
Hawaiian trade that a vessel of 1000
tons capacity making monthly trips
could earn under present circumstances
a good interest on the money invested
in her by her owners.
The British-American line has been
operating a line of steam vessels be-
tween Seattle and the Hawaiian islands
for some time past. Just at present
however the demand for ships in the
Alaska trade will result in the tenn
porary suspension of sailings for Ho-
nOlulu, at least after April TO- the date
OF the sailing of the steamer Centennial
1t is believed however that the opening
for Seattle made by the action of the
Southern Pacific will be taken advan-
tage of by shippers here, who will COM
blne together, 1t is predicted, and effect
the continuance of the Seattle Honolulu
line with regular monthly sailings.
Last year the trade between Seattle
and Honolulu reached very large pro-
portions. The Great Northern for ex-
ample, handled one lot of 10000 tons of
street railway supplies and there were
constant shipments of beer and electric
machinery from the East throughout
the year. This business was obtained
by the Great Northern by quoting a
low through rate to Honolulu, which
was less than the sum of the local
charges. The rate was made i'm compe-
tiuon with the Southern Pacific, and it
brought the business. 1t is stated that
If there were regular sailings of steam
ers between Honolulu and Seattle, the
Great NOrtern, as well as the Northern
Pacific would be able to divert by way
or TINS city much of the business that
is now sent from the East to Honolulu
wa san FRANCISCO. Railroad men say
that the action of the Southern Pacific
IN raising its through rates will have
the effect of turning the attention of
Eastern shippers to the northern lines
because Of the fact that the shipments
from the Eastern states to Honolulu
cannot bear the charges which will be
made under the new tariff sheets of the
@Juthern lines.
some weeks ago an effort was made
by the San Francisco merchants to
nave the Seattle wholesalers petition
the Northern transcontinental lines to
abolish the low through rates to Homo
Iuiu ON the ground that by so doing
the business could be conferred in the
hands OF the jObberS of the Pacific
coast and taken away from the Eastern
houses. The San Francisco move was
shrewdly planned, inasmuch as that
city has had an advantage over Seattle
in possessing sugar refineries, which
make possible the bringing of return
cargoes from the islands. The San
francisco merchants saw that with the
Northern lines maintaining regular
tariff rates across the continent on Ha-
waiian merchandise, Seattle would not
be in position to make fight for this
business. The Seattle merchants, how
ever were not caught mapping, and
they have not asked the Northern lines
to put their rates to Honolulu back to
the regular transcontinental basis
The representative of one of the
Northern railroads, said yesterday that
his company would continue to quote
as low rates as possible on shipments
originating in the East and billed
through Honolulu. He said that if
the Seattle Honolulu line is maintained
with regular sailings much business
now sent via San Francisco will be
routed by way of Seattle. This would
make more and more profitable the
operation of steamers in shipments of
local products from Seattle such as
lime, hay, grain, lumber beer and gen
eral merchandise.-Post Intelligencer.