Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, January 01, 1902, THIRD SECTION, Image 33

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Morning Oregonian., January 01, 1902, THIRD SECTION, Image 33

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Newspaper Page Text-sryT " rfpntm PAGES 33 TO 48 THIRD SECTION- NO. 12,810. VOL. XLI. PORTLAND, OREGON, WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 1, 1902. PORTLAND ADMIRABLY SITUATED TO COMMAND THE TRADE OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. 7yvERIG7VS yNEW M7VRT M THE CRIENT fe J - '5eW"wt PORTLAND Is the nearest American Pacific Coast port to China, and Japan. Ships sailing from the Co lumbia River to the Orient take the north ern route, even to going as far north as the Aleutian Islands. In this they first have the benefit of the Japanese current; and second, tfley avoid the curvature of the earth. A glance at the globe impresses one Instantly with the correctness of this course. In sailing from San Francisco to the Orient, via Honolulu, the voyage is longer by many hundred miles and by sev eral days This route takes you over the hill, while ours takes you around it. Qur stumers are sailing in a cool climate. while theirs are in the tropics, -which, in itself, is no small factor In shipping perishable and semi-perishable products. The points of advantage the Columbia River has over all others have been di lated on so many times that we are all more or less familiar with them. Yet we cannot help but feel that while they have been, to a certain extent, Ignored, yet they are now coming into a partial recognition. Irving M. Scott says In the New Tork Commercial that if the Nicar agua Canal is not built the great bulk of goods to and from the GTlent -will oe -via the Columbia River route in preference to San Francisco, because It Is tho short est and trains have no hills to climb. That the Columbia River affords a great harbor for all classes of vessels is demon strated by the fact that they are coming here continually. A few years ago we heralded a ship drawing 19 feet as a great event. Today a 25-footer is not uncom mon. ' Our channel is merrily growing deeper and deeper year by year, taking care of tho new craft as they increase in size. The attention of the world is being drawn to our great waterway. It Is becoming recognized as a most marvelous work of Nature for the benefit of the wise agriculturist who locates in its watershed. It Is the only natural gateway from the interior to the Pacific Slope, through that range of mountains extending from north to south on this North American continent. And with the energy that is now being displayed, It Is only a ques tion of a short time before this point will be proven to be the one of exceptional merit, and one to -which the preference will invariably be given. Oregon's Future Across the PiaclSc. "What are Oregon's prospects in the Orient? Everything! Our .entire future lies across the water. That is where we must look for a market for our surplus in every line. As the valleys east of the Cascades become populated and the vast stretches of arid plains are re claimed from the desert, so gradually we shall see horticulture and agriculture mak ing prosperous towns and thriving vil lages, he country dotted here and there with manufacturing industries, and the people of a most happy and industrious empire, producing more than they con sume and disposing of the remainder to a people across the water who are in want of the very things of which wo have a superabundance. "We who are on the Coast must naturally develop this market, and as the demand for our goods Increases we must go back farther and farther Into the Interior for our supply. The control of the tropics must rest with the people of the temperate zone. It Is our heritage and we must accept it, and we the people of Portland must assume our portion o2 the responsibility. "With the Introduction of our goods into the Orient will come the return cargoes of Oriental wares, and with them tho development of this port as a distributing point. Up to the present, hemlock timber has been considered practically -worthless sim ply for the want of a demand. The rav ages of the white ant In the Orient in the destruction of wood have brought out the manufacture of preservatives which, undoubtedly do more or less good, yet they Increase the cost of the timber very mate rially. It has been demonstrated by ex periments that while the white ant will devour spruce and firs, it leaves hemlock untouched. This fact will open up an Im mense market for our hemlock, and make those forests hitherto considered worth less to be of great value. The Oregon Tlmberman has compiled the following shipments of timber to the Orient for the first six months of 1D01: Feet Columbia River 14.325.5S5 Puget Sound 10,324.000 British Columba 1.9S5.441 It is a line of commercial Industry that will require some courting, but will even tually result in enormous raffle. "Woolens, etc., are In some demand in Northern China, Northirn Japan and Si beria. Our trade In this line should grow and thrive most wonderfully. Wliat Portland Can Do. "While Portland's exports to the Orient are enormous and growing rapidly, as would naturally follow in the development of an entirely new trade, the Importance of this Is merely local and nominal when taken in comparison with the far-reaching magnitude of her Influence as an import ing and distributing point. This may be in tho distant future, but it is as certain as the dawning of a new day. Our Pa- and Japanese ports, and then on to Port land, they would have the very shortest and easiest known route to the United States. It is startling in the extreme to look at the statistics compiled by the Government and learn of the things of which we know little or nothing, where they come from, their uses and the great place they occupy In the world's com merce. "We then realize how little we know of our neighbors. The commerce of the Indies has been great. It is great now. It is not a trade to be developed. It Is, however, a trade to be diverted. This traffic now comes to the United States via the Atlantic seaboard. The natural point of distribution is the Pacific Coast, and this is -where Portland must There is a little Item, insignificant in Itself, perhaps, yet bristling In possibili ties. From China we import 570,000 pounds of bristles. Think of how many sets ot teeth these will clean and of how many heads of hair they will smooth. Then think why should not these bristles be made Into brushes here at their nearest point In the United States and distributed East, instead of being manufactured East at the farthest possible distance from tne originating point, and then distributed out here. Japan has begun the manufacture of brushes, and ships to us about 120,000 pounds of various kinds annually. In drugs there are opportunities equal to those in any other line. Auction sales of quinine are held montnly at Batavia, Java. Plumbago or graphite Is an Item that to the casual reader would not be considered as of any consequence in the mov ement ot freight, yet Caylqn annually ships to the United States about 13,000 tons, or 26,000. 000 pounds. "We grind it up into stoe polish, axle grease and lubricants. Opportunities for Tanneries. The greatest and most extensive tan neries In the United States are furnished a great portion of their raw material by the Indies, who ship here annually 75, 000.000 pounds of hides, goat skins, etc At tho same time is imported from the Indies 39.000,000 pounds of gambler, that is used for dyeing and coloring these very same skins. How much of this raw ma- of various qualities. 30.000.000 pounds: time our trade will consist principally of bags and .bagging of gunny cloth to the the great staples. value of $000,000: cloth made of jute yarn, to the value of So.SOO.OOO; silks from China to the value of 53.000.000. Raw silk unreeled from the cocoons comes from China almost entirely, sup plying our silk factories to the extent of S,000.000 pounds a vear. Is it carrying the Idea too far to think of silk manufac turing here, as -well as In the East? In the Straits Settlements are located the world's greatest tin mines. Over half of the United States' supply comes from there, this item alone amounting to 20,000 tons. The.day is not so far distant when the Portland soap factories will be import- Total 2G.636.026 The above points for all of 1900. .26,781,000 There are two significant facts to be gleaned from these figures: First, that tho Columbia River supplies more than the other two ports combined; and sec ond, that the trade is growing, with al most unprecedented leaps and bounds. And yet it Is but In Its Infancy. The pushing and building of railroads from the coast back Into the interior of China Is In itself not unlike the opening and spreading out of an enormous hand cov ering that "entire country. It w ill devel op our lumber trade to such an extent that wo now cannot comprehend or grap it "While China and Japan manufacture a superior grade of paper, it is used here only on very expensive works, yet they offer to us our greatest field for news print paper. Immense quantities arc con tinually going there and the trade is growing. "We are literally grinding up our forests for the dissemination of the doctrine of false gods and the news of the world among the heathen. There are no horses In China and Japan and comparatively f ew in the Philippines. As a result, the de mand for harness, etc., is light; in fact, comparatively nothing. Among the minor articles exported to that world Is found starch to the extent Jf 2S.O0O pounds. "While this is light It is an item and if tne Astoria factory matures, this line of trade will present possibilities. The demand for fresh fruits is a grow ing one. Shipments of apples are in creasing both in number and size. The results are better rs the packers gain In knowledge and experience. It Is doubt ful if any of our other fruits will ever be Introduced until the steamers put in cold-storage facilities. Under such cir cumstances frozen poultry, beef, eggs, etc., as well as all kinds of fresh fruit could be carried In great quantity. Too much stress cannot be laid on this point. yZ H R " U S S l AN Y JS L AS K A . . I ' ' j j 1 ,6,- e it n I D txWt&Xrl" ' V W t.si CALCUTTA, K I Kl M fl -'crt)Vv VUtlll - &Z I "sj-7 N D I A i?CND,Ah'0w6;rHr'x fill Tum. 1 s ' HfD0MBAV 7 jo-x lC X wL ' " - l - T 1 ( ) AflHCoat w xVJlH'X r ' f - Wv ft .'A' , ' . " PORT OWWiwr S j kA U S T R A L 1 A Yv) ' r' ; clflc steamers are sailing from our shores to the Orient laden with our local prod ucts and leaving behind nearly as much again for want of space. To Insure a shipment gding forward at any certain time, space has to be engaged some times months ahead. Yet no more steam ers are put on for want of return cargoes. Steamers from New York and Liverpool sail as far as Hong Kong, touching at Calcutta, Columbo, Bombay and Singa pore, while our steamers sail only to Hong Kong, leaving the bulk of the ton nage to the Orient and the tropics to go "West via the Suez Canal to New York. The tonnage of the Indies Is far greater than that of China, Japan and the Philip pines complned. If our steamers should start from Bombay touching at Columbo, Calcutta, Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong make herself a power In the world as an Importing, manufacturing and distribut ing point. If jou think there is no room for us In this field let us look at a few facts and figures. They are dry, to be sure, but it you have read this far you surely will go a little farther. Here are some of the possibilities in tho wholesale grocery ana spice line. Look at the extent of the imports of the United States of the past year:' The tonnage Is not sufficient to load car goes, but it Is an item of the financial importance of the cargo. Some of tne other items In this line are: Gum arable, from the Indies, annual Imports, 90,000 pounds; camphor, from Japan, 1,500,000 pounds; indigo from the British East In dies 1,500.000 pounds, which in Itself is over half of our entire Imports of this ar ticle. Saltpeter is an item worthy of our attention, as the British East Indies fur nish us with 10,000.000 pounds annually. terial finds It way Into Portland is hard I Ing direct their own supply of cocoanut to tell, but the chances are that the per- oil and copra, and then our soaps will be East Indies. China and Dutch. British. Japan. " pounds. pounds. pounds. Coffee 17,313,000 C.COO.000 300.000 Spices 1,000,000 12,000,000 4.000.000 Sugar 1.162,202,000 9,840.000 8.000.000 Tea . ..!.!?.... "4.300.000 ,80,000.000 Sapsago, tapioca, etc 364.000 SO.QOO Total, pounds. 23.613.000 17.000.000 1,180.042,000 84.300,000 334.000 From Java principally. From Ceylon principally. ccntagc Is not great. Thn East Indies furnish us with almost all of our shellac In this one Item w find It figures up to 9,000,000 pounds an nually. The varnish factories of the At lantic States draw- annually from the East Indies gums, such as copal, dam mar, gamboge, and cowrie, used in the manufacture of their products to the ex tent of 7,000,000 pounds. "Would It be pos sible to have a varnish factory here? Perhaps not, but to one not posted on tho influences and conditions governing such an enterprise it would seem as if such a thing might be possible. In textiles the figures assume the usual enormous proportions: Jute and jute butts, 53,000 tons; carpets looking for and finding an Eastern mar kct. These oils or fine greases are the easiest known for manipulating and man ufacturing Into soap. In fact, our local manufacturers expressdd surprise at being able to ship soaps of any kind into a country where the manufacture of the article was simple. Americans Will Create Markets. "" "With the building of railroads will nat urally follow the influx of many Ameri cans. With the advent of the American into that country will be his natural de sire arid demand for the things of Ameri ca, which in itself will open up a market, as It did In the Philippines for goods not known and not wanted until the demand Is created In this manner. Up to that The Chinaman is slow in adopting new ideas, but he hs taken kindly to flour, so kindly, in fact, that our exports for the fiscal year ending June 30, 19C0. were 2.500.000 barrels, or 195.000 tons. As one thing creates a demand for another, so flour created a demand for lard, and so will it create a demand for butter. The consumption of butter in the Orient Is comparath ely light, but it is growing. The source of supplv at present is Aus tralia during our Winter and Denmark durlnpr our Summer. The dairy division of tho Department of Agriculture sent Professor Emery to the principal ports in Japan. China and the Philippines for the sole purpose of introducing American dairy products. While his efforts met with some result, jet the experiment was not so pioductie as it would hae been had the professor remained there six months or a ear, so as to watch develop ments, and to report successes and fail ures, together with remedies for the lat ter. In fact, introduced our butter there In eery sense of the word. His return w.is without doubt premature. Tho de mand for this article, when it is once introduced there, will be almost unlim ited. In our dalrjlng Industry we are now at th critical point of either producing more than can be marketed or not pro ducing a sufficient quantity for the de mand Th" latter contingency is much easier to meet than the former. A too rapid growth In this industry right now would be very disastrous. The demand for breadstuffs is a small but growing one. India has already had soiup of our oatmeal We should natural ly expect a demand for that from Sibe ria, vherf they need food of that nature. Up to the present the reports do not show any shipments there. Bread and biscuits, or perhaps more cor rectly speaking, crackers, are meeting with a ready and Increasing demand. The quantity so far has not made any great tonnage, et It will soon be an Important factor In our exports. rortlnnil the Natural Trade Point. Every jear San Francisco attempts to Import dates direct from Persia, and each ear thev reach the market a month after dates have been landed there -via New York, all on account of uncertain and deficient transportation facilities. Our Imports are only 700.000 pounds, but it is an item worth considering. And imports of this sort should be coming this way for distribution. Manila is au item of about 40,000 tons, of which Portland receives only a small percentage. There are only four other ports In the United States that import manlla, namely. New York, Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco. Matting, curios, fans, etc., come infor a large valuation from Japan and China, -but these are Items that are decreasing Instead of enjoying an Increased trade. China ships to us 5.000,000 pounds of ce ment annually. Japan furnishes us with 250,000 pounds of paper that Is considered the finest known, and Is used only in our most expensUe and choicest books. The natural point, and one being ac cepted by large corporations for the lo cation of factories & at or near the seat of supply of the raw material. The cot ton mills and iron works in the South aro object lessons. The fact that our own lo cal woolen mills are not dependent upon the local consumption for the disposition of their output, and even new ones aro being established the one at Sellwood doubling its capacity before being half completed are straws indicating the direc tion of the wind. If this Is true in domes tic lines, then it should be equally true of the Imported lines. We have stated and ou can see that Portland Is the near est and most direct point to the United States from Eastern Asia; the goods aro not only coming to this country, but have been for years, now; they are being con sumed, and the demand is constantly for more. What part is Portland taking in this? There, as we nae sam, 13 wa her future greatness lies. This cannot be repeated too often. She must import, manufacture and distribute, or when the tide of commerce sets this way, as it sureiy will, the goods will pass through here to a St. Paul, St. Louis or Chicago, at which point the manufacturing distri bution will be done, and Portland will bo merely a siding for the transfer of goods from steamer to the cars. Opcnlnj? the Eaitern Trade Route. It was In 1492 that Columbus sailed west to the Indict,. It was Hendrick Hudson, in sailing up the rier which afterwards took his name, who thought he had found a Northern passage. The exploring ex peditions for this northwest passage have cost hundreds of Hes and thousands of dollars, and what has It all been about merely to find a water route to the In diesthe richest of all Oriental countries, producing the things we require and in return demanding our products. After all of this expenditure of time and money and the sacrifice of so many lives, the project is abandoned and al most forgotten until some bright sun shiny day we wake up to find that wo hae here at our doors a Northwest pas sage that puts to shame the one dreamed of and hoped for by our brave, hardy old navigators. It domes to us in. a different way, through different methods and agen cies, and yet perhaps, when we consider it. It Is the only way. With the comple tion of the line of road from Huntington down the Snake River to Riparia, trains of 60 cars each headed for Portland with barely steam enough in the ergine to turn the drivers, will run frc-m the sum mit of the Rockies to tidewater. How wonderful are these changes; how gradually they have been brought about; and how slowly have we come to realize that the great Northwest passage has been opened and Portland is the gateway. The inexhaustible commerce ot the Orient India, China, Japan and The Philippines is before us; we have everything in our favor. The question Is before the people of Portland for action. Will the people step forward and take advantage of the wonderful opportunities now- presented; W. H. CHAPIN, Portland.