The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-05-23


ability To take care of our side Ia every bargain
t c4cu ai mi-. f,r,N ~ rIcrrirante. pruiuc-r> uIsI
cln-umcrahcr" a. j. admitted bv those who fear
more intimate communicate and connection with
car uci.hhurs on the Contircnt. h,saUS. nv ir0Nh
gam ah ne ddrgEfdvr 81 H- hgrgaiR.
IrLc. sugar aud moa--cs are ARTICLES carried
ouiiulril, hy sailing ve--cl>. Why? B~aute they
CALI not afford 70 Iay for the benefits ut steam car
riagc. but shall thcy rcfu~c such advantages IT,.
under peculiar circumstances, they are offered
without increased cost? These peculiar. and We
may add, Fortunate circumstances. arise out # the
receipt hy the Company Of the subsidy, wlich, dr.
vidcd over the carrying CAPACITY of each steamer
for eighteen trips. will amount To six dollars per
ton, in ease the Hawaiian Government adds n
small subsidy To the large amount paid 10y the
United States. In addition Ia getting sugar and
moiaSses carried by steam ut as low a price as
sailing packets obtained when six of them were
ON this route, we would enjoy many other bene-
fits, for which subsidy should be paid.
How - with the best care ON the part of the
steamers - they should offer only equal facilities
for the fruit trade, when the average of steamer
trips is thirteen days, that of sailing vessels
twenty-five days, | cannot conceive. If fruit ex-
portations have fallen off materially for the last
few years, there is no reason why they should not
rapidly increase, and their value soon be over
$4,000 per annum to the producer. Every land
holder. be his possession ever SO small. can raise
ONNHCcf - pan NIENf ~f N
production must increase when regular steamers
carry fruit quickly and carefully TO San Francisco.
No demand for this steamer subsidy should be
made if it could not be satisfied without impeding
the much needed Improvement of roads on the Isl
ands; but when it is in the power of this Govern
ment to meet both these necessities, neither should
be neglected.
We wish this additional inducement of Il regular
steamer line to attract travel to these Islands.
They will become better known visitors on pleas
and during their stay will increase the number of
consumers, benefit to importers, manufacturer
and producers ON these Islands.
If the increased frequency of regular arrivals
and departure of Steamers creates hvelincss OF
trade for the merchants, and leaves a larger amount
of profit III their hands. is not the inevitable con-
sequence that importations will be furnished
cheaper To the community ut large? 1t is no ficti-
tious gain ut all. If n merchant retains now say
five dollars from every hundred that passes through
his hands, and hereafter when trade becomes more
lively, two hundred dollars pass through his hands,
leaving him ten dollars, will not competition find
It's way to that lucrative business and force him
to reduce his percentage, may be to two and Il
half, bcncfting thereby the consumer? In short,
the benefit Of enlivcned trade and regular coInmu-
nication with San Francisco must be and will be
reduced cost of importations to the consumers,
and enhanced value of expectations to the pro-
~ducers-bencfits to be enjoyed by the community
at large.
We are aware that there are many interests
which, in selEdefence, naturally oppose the
change expected from a closer communication of
our Islands with the rapidly growing city of San
Francisco. Bat we do not think that there is
good ground to fear that merchants here will be-
come so dependent upon their San Francisco cor
respondents as to lose the consciousness of indie
pendent reciprocity, upon which all commercial
relations shonld be based. At all events, the
merchants interests should always be considered
secondary TO that of the producing and consum-
ing classes, for whom he is only the intcrmedia-
tor. They will he benefited and better served if
the proposed contract is made by this Govern
ment, and for that reason do We advocate the
grant of this moderate subsidy. d.