The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-28
WILL Be GREAT PORT
RESIDENTS OF SEATTLE SANGUINE
AS TO THEIR CITY,S
FUTURE
FRISCO TO BE oUTsTRIPPED
Advantages of Location Are Such
That Southern Cities Cannot
Successfully Compete
With Them.
Special to The Globe.


JAMESTOWN, N. D., Feb. 27.-H. NJ.
Taber, one of the well known bonanza
farmers of this section of the state and
a man of wide experience in practical af-
fairs, has returned from Seattle, where
he spent two months. Mr. Taber says
that many leading business men of the
Pacific coast believe that in ten years
Seattle will outstrip San Francisco in
population, becoming the greatest foreign
shipping port on the Pacific and the met
ropolis of the coast commerce. They
advance q number of reasons for their
belief, among them being that Seattle is
growing, having now a population of l25,
900, while San Francisco has only $4,000.
Seattle is nearer Hongkong and Yoko-
hama by 700 miles than San Francisco,
and the greatest share of the trade OF
China and Japan goes through these
ports.
Another reason why the northern port
viii outStrip San Francisco is that in
coalilg a vessel for a long ocean voyage
with q, 600 tons of coal Seattle can furnish
it for $1,000 less money than San Fran
cisco. San Francisco coal comes from
Vancouver on the Puget sound. Seattle
has an ample supply of coal within
twelve miles of the city. Then the prox-
Unity of Seattle to Alaska is another
point in it's favor. 1t is the natural out
fitting point for the Alaskan trade. The
government is making numerous i'm
provements in the Seattle water front
With the shipping Improvements which
Seattle is bound to acquire in q few
years, there is no doubt that the city
will firmly secure her place as mistress
of the Pacific coast. Mr.. Taber says fur
ther:
President ]. j. Hill saw these great
advantages of Seattle years ago. His ef-
forts to build up a Pacific and foreign
oifxy
San Francisco have been unremitting and
are being crowded with success. The
building up of Everett, which will be q
fine town, and the construction CT the
Great Northern road to the coast are
part of Mr.. Hills great and far-reach"
ing plans. He has put forth his best ef-
forts to secure capital for the develop
ment of the entire Northwest and for
the growth of the cities of the Pacific
coast and the interior of the Northwest,
rather than for the development OF the
railway interests of the central and
southern portions of the country. The
public has only recently become aware
of the great struggle for supremacy, ana
in which Mr. Hill and his friends have
so far outwitted and withstood the IN
terests of the Union and other Pacific
roads whose interests center at San
Francisco Had the Southern roads Sc
cured control of the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern, with the Burlington, is
there anyone who can doubt that the de-
velopmen& of the coast trade of the far
Northwest and of the states between Du-
iuth and the Pacific would not have been
delayed several years?
''One of the results in the matter Of
freight rates since the formation OF the
Northern Securities company is that
there is said to be no discrimination in
rates at Seattle and other coast points.
The pass system is also said to haze
been materially curtailed. This is as 1t
should be, for when rates are the same
to all shippers, and the public can tell
just what to expect, every interest IS
on an equal footing. 1t stimulates busi-
ness enterprise and is much more salts
factory to the public. If the announced
policy of maintaining only such rates as
will cover expenses and fair rem1ncra-
tion on invested capital, treating all cltl-
zens and all interests alike in the mat
ter of freight and passenger rates, IS
faithfully adhered to, Seattle and the
Puget sound country will surely secure
the advantages of such policy, and it will
be one of the factors in aiding IN the
growth of the Pacific Northwest.