Stories from our pages over the last 150 years.
That the failure of Canada to accept the reciprocity agreement will not affect the steamship companies recently formed with a view to caring for the business which shipowners believed would be built up between the Sound and British Columbia, is the consensus of opinion among local shipping men who discussed the matter today.
Some time ago the opinion was current that if reciprocity failed the steamships recently added to the Seattle-Victoria-Vancouver run would be withdrawn, but it now appears that there is sufficient business on the run to make it profitable, even for the additional lines. It is known to shipping men, however, that as a result of the failure of reciprocity, that two $250,000 steamship corporations which have been projected, will never materialize.
After the reciprocity bill passed congress several new vessels were introduced into the trade between Seattle and British Columbia, although the business at the time did not appear to warrant it.
The operators believed that reciprocity would furnish sufficient business to support the vessels since Canadian oats, pulp and print paper would be shipped into this country and American grain would move northward in quantity.
In the meantime, however, the steamship men have learned that there is considerable natural trade between the American and Canadian ports without the stimulus of reciprocity. All those vessels on the run will therefore remain for the present.
-- Victoria Times
