The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-07-28


taking it, would have brought nearly twice that
price. 1t is idle to talk Of holding on to the oil thus
imported, for a better market. Some Of the owners
can do this. But there are many small owners in
our ships. mechanics and others. who must sell. To
these this f~reighting policy Is absolutely ruinous.
To them the result is, not only the sacrifice OF their
oil, but of their interest IN the ships This is a mat
ter of most serious Importance affecting ms 1t does,
the general prosperity Of our city. Heretofore the
comparatively equal distribution Of wealth. the IN
usually large number of merchants, ship-owners and
mechanics, shaving ample fortunes, has been the
source of pride and wealth Of our city. But, under
this cannot continue Wealth, now distributed,
must accumulate more and more in the hands of n
few, at the expense of the prosperity of the masses.
We believe the evilsfo which we have imperfectly
alluded, are felt and acknowledged by all interested
in the whaling business The remedy is in their
hands, and we look for its application speedily, or for
the ruin of the business, and the consequent decline
If our city in wealth and population.
The above article contains much truth and will
undoubtedly lead to an improvement in the present
mode of CARRYING on the business. There is one
thing, however, in which the Tines is in error.
Shipments of oil and bone, If made to any e9tent.
must be made By merchantmen. To talk of freight
ing oil by whalers. excepting now and then one,
is idle. They will seldom take it unless on ac-
count # their owners. b cause one or two mer-
chantmen delivered their cargoes in bad order,
and with considerable loss, is no argument against
shipping by them. If the oil is properly slowed
and wet ON board a merchant ship by persons
who understand the business, it can be delivered
in as good order as by a whaler. Besides any loss
on shipments by merchant vessels is made up by
them or by the insurance.
The New London Democrat. in publishing the
above quoted article, makes the following COM
manila xrh,cb xEa onpr fbat ,,,r rnaJa~s -, rlo.,-
all that is said about US:
"what is true of New Bedford in regard to whal-
ing applies with equal force to New London, with
the exception of the large ~"lays'' given Captains.
New Bedford has run that nearly g into the ground >
She has in many cases offered such enormous lays rs
TO secure most of the best whalemen in the country,
but she has evidently paid too dear for the whistle.
No one Of course will blame the captains for taking
advantage of this foolish competition and making all
they can out of it. 1t is all right on their part. but
it is a pretty expensive operation for those who own
in whaling. To make whaling of general local bene-
fit, it is obvious that the uhoie business must be done
where the vessels are owned. 1t will not do to have
one fourth of it done in New London, and three
fourths Of it in Honolulu, for in that case Honolulu
would make all the money and New London lose il.
Honolulu loses no money because she owns nothing
in whalers Ii makes no difference how poorly a
ship may do, Honolulu gets just as much for repairs
and supplies as if she had done well, while the home
port has to bear all the losses. All the business must
be done in the home port to make II profitable, and
the sooner whaling merchants withdraw their ships
from the Sandwich Islands the better il will be for
all concerned. The deiuge of oil that is thrown into
the eastern market by holding it at the Islands until
some ~freighter wants a cargo and then sending 1t
home, operates with great detriment TO the holders
of oil in the home ports. The only way to obviate it
is to DO all the business at the home ports"
To talk of IS doing all the business at the home
ports may be very smooth in theory, but brought
into practice is little else than =" bosh." Ships
out on long voyages must recruit, or when they
disasters, they must repair, and to repair
and recruit, Honolulu always has and always in
to acknowledgements unsurpassed by any
port in this ocean. And so long as whaling
captains and whaleship owners know this from
experience, SO long will they continue to visit
our ports.
In conclusion, we give the following item from
the Mercury of the 3Oth of May, cordially thank
ing that Journal for not having charged the whole
$50, 900 loss to Honolulu merchants but
reasonable causes for the serious def
cheney. If it bad added also, that one of the yes
had during her cruise at the Norti. been en-
irely dsmdsted, and not IA spar left standing, and
another had lost one mast and all the spars
sails attached to it, it would have been a
statcmen
UNSUCCESSFUL VoYaGEs.-Five whaleships return
Il to this port on Saturday., after an absence of from
bur &c FIVE years each, all of which have made
osIng voyages amounting 10 an aggregate of S15,OO0
70 : S0,000. This i'll success is owing to the small
latch, heavy expenses incurred in fitting and recruit
ing during the voyage, and the reduction i'll the price
IF oils. Another wbaler, arrived yesterday, has had
no better luck, the whole six ships having made
osing voyages.