The Ferry Monopoly Squeezing Kitsap County
Fruit growers in Olalla organized to fight a steamboat syndicate charging double for their passage.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
An appeal for help in securing equitable freight rates for fruit growers in Kitsap county has been made to the Chamber of Commerce. The appeal comes from Olalla, stating that the steamers Glide and Mary F. Perley, plying between Tacoma and Seattle, have combined to raise rates on passengers and freights. Freight is carried from Tacoma and Seattle to other points, passing by their doors at twice the distance, for one-half the cost. The farmers earnestly beg for cooperation in securing a suitable steamer to ply through the West Passage as berry season is near. A meeting of 100 farmers passed resolutions to get a boat to make daily trips, with a signed pledge to patronize the new operator who agrees to fair rates. The farmers stated they would not listen to a rate reduction from the current monopolistic operators, as they are not reliable.
“Freight is carried from Tacoma and Seattle, and vice versa, passing our very doors and at a distance twice that to our own landing by these very boats, for one-half what they cost us to get them here.”
The frustration of Kitsap County farmers at the mercy of ferry monopolists echoes today's ongoing debates regarding the reliability and affordability of the Washington State Ferry system. Just as 1891 farmers sought a 'square deal' for their seasonal produce, modern commuters and regional businesses continue to struggle with the infrastructure that connects our peninsulas to the urban core.
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