Valdez daily prospector., 1912-01-23
P0RTlAh|Dl|!MA|NlTS ALASKA'S TRADE Valdez Man Proves Effective Booster for Alaska While
 In the States

Perusal of the columns of Portland exchanges which ar rived in the last mail shows that MT. +. J. Cameron, who returned on the Northwestern, was a sub stantial booster for Alaska while outside.
 The Portland Journal gives ac- counts of MT. Cameron's presence at meetings of the chamber of commerce and other commercial organizations. He urged the bus mess men of Portland to get busy and secure their share of the business of Alaska. MT. Gamer on informed the members of the Portland commercial club that Alaska merchants were not en- tirely satisfied with the treatment tfey had received from cities on Puget sound and if Portland went after the business of the north they would get their share. The possibility of Portland se- curing a fair share of 'Alaska's trade has long been an ambition lof the business organizations of that city. MT. Cameron's talk be- fore the meetings and to the mem bers personally resulted in the Portland Progressive Business Mems Club becoming interested and taking active measures to learn the amount of Alaska busi- ness now handled by Portland merchants. The figures were ap- parently satisfactory, as the or ganization at once launched plan having for it's object the capture of the trade of Alaska for Portland.
 A committee was appointed from the leading business men to further the project and tO lake active measures tO secure the Alaska trade by putting on a line of steamers with Portland as it's home port. Fifty of the leading business houses will join in send ing five statesmen north at an early date 10 interview the busi- ness men of Alaska and to judg" of the possibility of the trade warranting, the cstablishmcnt of line of steamers. Many of the business men also expressed the intention of coming north t0 sec for themselves.
 Mr. F.. II. Dodge, the million- airc ShipOwner of San Francisco, attended meeting of the club and urged the business men of Portland to go after the Alaska trade. He said he was prepared to place a line of steamships on the run to Alaska when the mcr- chants of Portland could guaran- tee shipments amounting to 200 tons per trip. If Portland goes after the Alaska business Port land will get it," said MT. Dodge.
 Frank w. SwantOn, an old-time Alaskan, but now president of the Portland-Arctic club. as we'll as president of the Columbia Mill ing company, gave figures from Bradstreet's and Dunn's reviews to show that the trade of Alas ka was worth going after and get ting. "Alaska's imports in 1880 were $325,000 and exports $5O,- 900. In 1890 imports were S2,- O0O,000; exports, S5,0OO. In 1900 Imports i9,OOO,O00; exports, $600,00O. In 1910 imports S2O,- O0O,0O0; exports, Si2,5OO, ,0OO. That is good business and Port land wants it," declared MT. SwantOn. MT. Swanton has gone to Washington as the represen- tative of the Portland Progress sive and Arctic clubs to work in behalf of Alaska.
 The movement on the part of Portland to make a determined eff fort for the trade of Alaska has the support of such leading citi- zens as G., F. Johnson, Phil s. Bates, c. s. Jackson, c. c. Chap man, James F. Kinder and F. A. Freeman, of the Lumberman's National bank.