The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-07-07
URGE ]. S. Mint FOR
SEATTLE
COMMERCIAL BODIES START
MOVEMENT TO PREVENT
LOSS OF BUSINESS.
Raise in Assay Office Rates Proposed
bv Government Mould Send Prac-
ticaily All Alaska Gold Direct to
San francisco Mint.

San Francisco Mint.
Acting on the information that the
Canadian government purposed estab-
fishing a mint at Vancouver, which
would divert from this country
Alaskan bullion through British Co
lumbia, the committee on national
affairs of the Seattle Commercial
Club yesterday voted to call on the
representative in congress from the
state of Washington for an immediate
enactment of legislation that will
bring Seattle a mint.
Urges Mint in Seattle.
William Pitt Trimble announced to
his colleagues on the committee that
the Canadian government maintains
no mint west of Ottawa, that he had
private advices that unless something
was done at Washington. D. c., to
make amends for the federal govern
ment's neglect of the Seattle assay
office, that instead of the Alaskan bull
lion being merely shipped to San
Francisco that it it would be diverted
to British Columbia and with it the
trade of Alaska.
1.-THE situation is serious one, "
said Mr.. Trimble, mot one that should
be neglected, and campaign should
be begun at once to enlist every bust
ness interest in the Northwest in be-
half of measure for the establish
ment of mint in Seattle, because if
this is not done mint will be es-
tablished at Vancouver, B. c., and we
will be robbed of our Alaskan trade. !"
To Appeal to Washington.
]. M. Frink, George H. Revelle, H.
e. Holmes and State Senator Pliny
Allen, the other members of the COM
mittee, then voted to accept the sug-
gestion of Mr.. Trimb1e that an appeal
De forwarded to Washington without
delay, that the representatives in con-
gress from all the states of the North
west be requested to join in the move
ment to establish mint in Seattle,
and that the business interests of Sc
attic and the state be asked to inter-
est their correspondents in all parts
of the country in the subject.
]. w. Maxwell, president of the
club, yesterday wrote to the presidents
of all the railroads entering Seattle,
calling their attention to the increase
in assay rates which become effective
August 1.
1T is very evident the effect this
will have on the Seattle assay Office,
and instead of increase of assay Office
charge from Is to n of 1 per cent,
this charge, which is not imposed at
any mint, should be removed en-
tirely," wrote Mr.. Maxwell.
Writes to Railway Officials.
Originally it was imposed to cover
expense to government for actual
work done at an assay Office, subse-
quently considered as an Offset to cost
to government on transfer of bullion
from assay Office to mint.
Conditions prevailing in the Seattle
Office are different from other minor
assay Offices and it should be treated
like the New York assay office, at
which only mint charges are i'm
posed-no assay Office charge in addi-
ton being deducted from amount paid
depositors-a depositor gets the same
for his gold whether deposited at New
York assay Office or Philadelphia mint.
On this side of continent depositor
gets $1.25. and after August $3.50.
per $1,000 more for his gold at San
Francisco and Denver than at the
Seattle Office. The $1.25 assay Office
charge has gradually diverted more
and more of the Alaska gold from Sc
attic to San Francisco. The increase
to $3.50 will doubtless send it all to
San Francisco.
Says Seattle Will Lose Trade.
Eventually Seattle will lose the
bulk of Alaska bullion shipments.
which will result in either an addi-
tlonal toll on the Alaska miner.
which the Seattle banks will have to
impose on surplus San Francisco ex-
change sent here to make payment
Tor supplies, which, il too much.
would divert Alaska trade to San
Francisco.
During last session of congress an
act was passed doing away with the
necessity of coming all gold bullion
ana foreign gold coin purchased. At
present there is one billion Of gold
coin In the government treasury
With the removal Of necessity to coin
bullion purchased. the necessity 81
sending bullion from an assay ONCE
to mint for coinage disappears. The
bullion can be kept at an assay once
Is well as at mint when it is merely
2 case OF storage to consider Seattle
can be supplied with necessary vaults
for that purpose. II gold can be
stored ut Seattle then the aseav ~.
nee charge Of * or Of / per cent
can be discontinued, as it is now i'm.
posed as transportation charge r
is the governments policy to store a
much as possible at Denver whether
the Alaska gold comes to Seattle -
-s