Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-12
Written for The Star.

Certain rnnUarnenIdt pT1llCipitS bic az 49,
basis of the effort to enlarge the commerce
OF Washington which ought to De care
fully considered at this time Trade and
industry are in no sense accidents. IheS
depend primarily upon advantageous geo
graphical position. transportation faeih'ieS
and the enterprise OF merchants. Given
accessibility to the trading territory, ana
success depends upon the foresight, en-
ergy and persistence of those who engage
in the distribution OF commodities. There
is no lock and key which envious riVais
can fasten upon the contiguous territory
to keep out the intruder, and while nerce
competition must be met. while the strug-
gle for supremacy may test the patience
abilities and financial resources Of mer-
chants at the capital to the utmost fair
share of the distributing trade of the south
can be brought to Washington. While the
campaign for wholesale and Jobping TRACE
may partake of many of the charact
OF commercial war. victory is assured IL me
Flocal merchants enter upon the struggle
with a comprehensive notion or what IS u
be gained and how to attain IL.
Washington Is favorably situated to com
mand large wholesale and Jopolhg TRACE
as 1t is to be the center of manufacturing
industry. 1t lies upon navlgaole river
by which the sea and seaports OF the worlo
are accessible. All the advantages OF water
communication belong TO washington. as
they do to Baltimore, Philadelphia ana
Richmond its nearest rivals 1t lies as
near the sources of supply for manufac-
ture and wholesale trade as any one oil the
cities named, except that II may not as
yet have within Its limits as many fac
tories for making the commodities TO De
sold.
Advantage of Position.
The capital has a peculiar advantage OF
position In that Il lies at the point where
the railroad systems of the southern states
converge and seek an outlet to the north.
Four large trunk lines terminate on the
opposite side of the Potomac, and the
traffic of all rolls over the new steel bridge
to this city and other points of distribution
and consumption. What the capital Is
with reference to this incoming tide OF
traffic 1t may be with reference TO that
which goes the other way to supply the
popula ton of the south with merchandise
and food products Washington has all
the advantages of transportation that any
American city has. In fact. with the rail-
roads already existing and the enlarged
facilities nearing completion in connection
with the terminal station and its APP
proaches. Washington has opportunities FAR
exceIling those of any of the large trade
centers quarter of a century ago during
the period of their commercial develop
ment.
To the northward are the Pennsylvania
ing to all the great manufacturing centers
of the country east of the Mississippi river.
Over those lines naturally will come to
Washington the domestic merchandise for
wholesale trade. That which is imported
is now brought from other ports. but may
be unloaded in future years at the wharves
here. On the incoming freight over these
lines of chief supply there is no complaint
of excessive rates, and no cases of impor-
lance have been taken before the inter
state commerce commission In which ship
pers in this city are involved. TIE de-
partment stores, the coal merchants, com
mission houses and all large shippers have
special rates over both of the northern
systems and much of the merchandise sold
I'm the Washington stores comes direct
from the mills of the manufacturers. wi.n-
out the intervention Of wholesalers or mid
diemen. Nothing therefore, stands in the
way of accommodating the merchandise and
commodities necessary to wholesale and
jobbpg trade.
Into the Center of Dixie
To the southwark the Southern system
leads into the heart of Dixie, tapping all
the important territory between Washing
ton and New Orleans and between Charles
ton and Cincinnati. The Seaboard Air
Line and Atlantic Coast Line cover the
territory IN the tidewater territory down
TO Florida while the Chesapeake and Ohio
and the Baltimore and Ohio systems ira
verse the region northward of that reached
by the Southern, making a network of
transportation lines connecting Washing
ton with all parts of the Interior over
radius of 500 to LOCO miles. The means
OF distributing trade could not be more
effective II the railroads had been built
with special reference to serving the fed
eral city to the exclusion of others
German writer's treating of the CONNER
cial development of seaports have coined
an expressive phrase to designate the ter
ritory to be supplied with merchandise,
and from which the emporium is to derive
its chief support They call It the Hin
terland" or the land within. Under exist
ing conditions. with comparatively cheap
freight rates and the accessibility of the
territory by rail, Washngton's "Hinter-
land" might be roughly designated by an
irregular line drawn from Brunswick. Ga.
to Atlanta, to. Chattanooga, to Cincinnati
and on TO Toledo, Ohio. Not that Wash
ington could hope to mouopolize trade in
such a sweep of territory, but distance
of 800 to 700 miles by rail is not excessive,
and much trade can reasonably be ex-
pected even over a wider extent.
Within such q "Hinterland" lie several
large trade and manufacturing cities that
would be competitors of Washington, but
wholesale trade once established meets
many times with unexpected outlets, and
the field designated belongs to wholesale
mer in the capital If they will go and cap
ture II for themselves. In the southern half
of this territory competition would be least
eHeCIlVS. anu lIllUef the HilBer OF OeSllny
points the business men of the capital to
the theater of their greatest success. It
is in this region by offering for sale at
cheaper rates than others can furnish
goods for the consumption of the popula-
ton to retail dealers that the chief hope
of Washington jobbers now lies.
First Important Step.
The cultivation of this field of trade is
the first important step to be taken, in
which the difficulties of shipment, prompt
delivery OF invoices ordered and less
freight are the deciding factors The
sources of supply and the means of trans
portation being the known quantities the
solution of the problem Is not insuperable.
One feature of the situation is of peculiar
Importance to the Washington shipper.
None of the southern lines of transporta-
ton has terminal facilities In the District.
The terminal facilities, including passage
across the Potomac river from Alexandria
for the Southern system. from Richmond
for the coast line and from the terminus
of the Chesapeake and Ohio In Virginia. is
a monopoly controlled by the Pennsylvania
system. Freight arrangements for delivery
in this city and for the transfer of through
cars or trains for points in the north are
now satisfactory to Shippers In the past
there have been freight blockades and some
delays incident to the lack of proper yards
6ofx. lad "