The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-01-26
From he Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. e,hJ
- riggiEHg Out OF Contract.

The Chamber Of Commerce Of san Francisco
memorializes Congress rather remarkably. That
association declares that = law compelling the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company t. make. by its
steamers. thirteen trips 10 China during the year,
- causes great Inconvenience To the travelling and
mercantile community and disarrangcs the plans
for rapid steam communication with ports in
China and japan" Thus far the allegations are
plain enough, bat when we come to consider the
remedy proposed we VIII be, p~ertUrce, slightly
astJnished. lille thirteen trips Der year viii
cause great inconvenience and disarrange the
plans for rapid steam communication il i de-
ciayed that one trip les. being twelve trips Der
auuum, viii lie convenient 10 the travelling COM
munity and render the communication with
China and japan more speedy. This being 50.
We DO not perceive why the Chamber Of Com
merce might not have aveTTed that six trips per an
mum would have made communication vastly more
rapid and convenient than twice the number.
by the same logic 1t might be established that if
there were no trips at all. travelling would be very
swift. The fact i tiaJ the san Francisco Cham
Der of Commerce i disineeniOus in this business.
IL i not for tie advantage Of c0mmerce or of
travellers that IL is proposed to release the Mail
Steamship Company from the necessity of max
ius thirteen trips per year, 1t Is to save the
company from the expense Of accommodating the
public. 1t being declared that the extra trip VIII
entail on the company 4 yearly expense Of Sis
600. Now there i a story connected with the
matter which has its instruction and its moral.
- AA,- NA-- ""-ACN -aA| nun -NNA 4 lGAAN4~[p Il
China and japan va established. IL was 70 be- q
Pacific mail line. ana az the United States have
very considerable commercial relations with the
Sandwich Islands, much more indeed than thew
have with japan. al this time. II was stipulated
that the steamers should touch at Honolulu at
each trip. For the mail service on the route from
California - Hawaii. japan and China. the
United States Government were 10 guarantee the
Steamship Company = payment of half a million
dollars a year. The company which received the
contract were very glad t get II. for the amount
t. lie paid by the Government. coupled with the
certainty OF a rich passenger and freight traffic.
rendered the speculation a very rich one. But hav-
ing received the guarantee. and secured u itself
freedom from all competition, the efforts Of the
Steamship Company now seem u be 70 endeavUr
TO wriggle out OF its obligations, and II obtain
the half million OF dollars per anuum for much
less service than was originally contracted for.
The first effort in this direction was 10 obtain
permission 10 avoid the trip u Honolulu alto
gether. 1t was alleged that the Sandwich Isl
ands Were ont Of the regular line Of voyage 10
China, that it would require extra time t. 20
there, and make the trip longer. Release from
that part Of tine contract was sought. ana Con-
for that favor there should be an extra trip 70
China and Japan in the wear. The effort now is
70 escape from tlIs last engagement. in order. as
II i plainly said, t. Increase the profits Of the
company Sllo.000 per annum. This l. the
secret Of the movement in the San FRANCISCO
Chamber Of Commerce. The only wonder is that
the merchants Of that city. whose interest it : TO
have a. much communication with foreign ports
as possible. whose Increases with the
number Of trips made by the steamers, should be
50 blind - their Interests Is q voluntarily consent
to deprive themselves Of advantages which the
Government designed 70 secure tor them, and for
which the Government Tavs.