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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
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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.
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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.