The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-04-04

Inonu, vancouver, hnu, IN iact, I'LL
Southwestern Washington. get their
Just dues in this matter.
Seattle is going to build a bulk
grain elevator. What for? The rail-
road companies will tell you the
farmers are not prepared to ship
grain In bulk. Even IL the farmers
should build elevators to ship In
bulk, they could not ship II. Why?
because the railroad companies
haven't any cars to carry bulk
wheat, and the interstate commerce
commission, so far, Will not allow
them the SO increase freight rates
to build cars for that or any other
purpose. We will take for granted
the company did build cars for that
would have to be sacked at tide
water, 80 where would the farmers
be any better off? Again, suppose.
in three years time, the railroads
and steamship companies were pre-
pared to ship bulk wheat. What
then? We would have no wheat to
ship, because the increase In popu-
lation of the ". 8. would consume
all our wheat In flour by that time.
SO you see Seattle wheat elevators
will be a dead loss to the taxpay-
ers.
Now let us take up the transcon-
tinental. railroad and steamship
Pacific railroad furnishes free docks
and warehouse room to the follow
Ing steamship companies:
Blue Funnel Line.
Hamburg American.
Royal Mail.
N. Y. X.
China Mutual.
Harrison Line.
Kosmos Line.
In fact. the company accepts
through traffic from the tramp
steamers. The Northern Pacific r..
r. Co., II needed. could build, In
two months time, a warehouse on
the city waterway between John IL.
Stevens warehouse and deep water.
This warehouse could accommodate
three of the big Holt Blue Funnel
line of steamers at the same time.
Again, this company could build an
other deep water frontage dock
and warehouse between the Alaska
Pacific and the old Flyer dock.
The Chicago. Milwaukee e. st. Paul
Railroad company could build ex-
tensions of their warehouses along
their deep dredged Milwaukee wa
terway back to 18th street, in two
months time. These warehouses
could accommodate fourteen of the
present sized Japanese steamers at
one time.
Tacoma is to be congratulated
for being the only city on the coast
that is prepared for the opening of
the Panama canal. We must give
these trans continental railroads
the credit. 1t would have cost Ia
coma millions of dollars to have
done this work. These companies;
having the largest freight yards and
ocean docks in the world, can
handle all through business for
some time to come. The Panama
canal will cut off ten thousand
miles of ocean trip around the Horn
to the east coast of the United
States and Europe. Steamship
companies now operating along this
coast have to steam from one port
to another tn get a full cargo,
There are over thirty Steamship
companies that are going to use thel
Panama canal. Most all of the old
line steamship companies are build
ing additional steamers, with twice
the carrying capacity of the pres
ent steamers. These, with the ton
mage of the steamers of the new
line spell disaster to some com-
panies. To me. Ii means thatgour
present regular steamship conlpan-
les, with their additional tonfia ge,
will do all the freight carrying bus
mess for some time to come; that
all the new steamship companies
will have their steamers laid up
Competition means the same. in the
end. Don't think that Seattle and
Portland port commissioners came
here and encouraged us to go into
the same business through any de-
sire for our success. We know their
love for us is not that strong.
On election day tnext Tuesday,
April the 7th), when you are I'm a
little booth by yourself, and your
eyes come to the words Port of
Tacoma" and the word NO" with
a square to the right of 1t. just pick
up the lead pencil and make cross
in that square, and all Will be well
with you.
Yours respectfully.
FRANK c. ROSS.
April 4th. 1914.