The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-12-25
SEATTLE wins OUT
UNEXPECTED HAPPENS IN ARMY
TRANSPORTATION.
Secretary Root Agrees to Award
Contract to Boston Steamship
Company, with the 20 Per Cent
Clause Eliminated---Satisfa
to WinsOr.

fost lntelllgencer from Warrington
says: Secretary Root agrees to award
transportation bid to Boston Steamship
company. Seventy-five per cent provi-
sion eliminated.
At time when hope had been aban-
doned by the persons who should have
been most active in the contest, Seat
tie has won substantial victory in the
army transportation fight. Secretary
Root has agreed to award the contract
for the Pacific transportation of troops
and supplies to the Boston Steamship
company, with the condition of the bid
eliminated which required that rs per
cent of the business should go to Sc
attic. President Winsor is willing to
waive this condition. He is expected
here today or tomorrow to conclude the
details of the transaction.
The Californians here are dazed by
the new turn of affairs and concede that
they have lost unless there should be an
unexpected hitch in the proposed ar
rangements between the war department
and the steamship company.
The proposition made by Mr.. Root
means that large amount of the trans
portation business will still be carried
on in government ships from the port
of San Francisco, but the contract with
the Seattle company will mean in
creased business from that port, al
though the exact proportion of the total
business to be given to the commercial
line will not be stated in the contract.
The proportion. it is said here, can be
increased by the enterprise of Seattle
commercial interests in providing hos
pital accommodations for soldiers. and
in otherwise reducing expense to the
war department of providing shore ia
cilities in general at Seattle, which
shall compare favorably with those of
San Francisco. The award of the con-
tract will probably be followed by
gradual abandonment of the transport
service. Senator Lodge of Massachu-
sets has been largely instrumental in
bringing the transportation fight to its
present successful issue. He received
the favorale decision of the secretary
and conveyed the information of it to
Senator Foster.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 20.-Secre-
tary Root this morning announced that
he had decided to accept the bid of the
Boston Steamship Co., of Seattle for all
government military business from Sc
attic and Puget Sound to the Philip
pines. The secretary will now ask San
Ero, ,osc fn h.xo
to be done through San Francisco.
President Winsor of the Boston Steam
ship company had long conference
with Secretary Root yesterday. The
secretary at the close refused to commit
himself positively, but intimated that
the bid of the Boston company, with the
stipulation for rs per cent of the bust
ness eliminated, would probably be ac-
cepted. This morning he authorized
the announcement to be made that he
had decided to accept the bid.
The secretary stated yesterday that
he would not guarantee a specified
amount of business to any company, as
he did not propose to have his hands
tied in the matter. He said that he de-
sired to remain free to distribute the
business at all times in the manner
which might appear to be for the best
interests of the government. He gave
President Winsor to understand, how
ever, that considerable portion of the
transport service will hereafter be han
died through Seattle.
President Winsor refuses to make
any statement beyond saying that he
has satisfactory assurances that his COM
pany will receive considerable portion
of the government business hereafter
He refused to say anything as to the
details of his conference with Secetary
Root, saying that it was strictly pri-
vate matter.