The Hawaiian gazette., 1868-05-06
Is j, wise and prudent. all points c0usiid-

cred. fO= Us to do anything towards secur
ing frequent steam communication wlti
san Francisco, Pas; experience has De
uonstrzted. that neither the good wiShei
Of our peighbors, the Califoruians, nor any
argument yet brought to bear upon Con
gress. Is sufScient to cause the establish
meat Of a steam line TO cur Islands. sneh 81
ought TO Be lAid on. in order TO be Of any
material aid to our business. or enhance
neut Of our commercial prosperity.
The business Of San Francisco viii
these Islands viii not be quieksned O. de
pressed by the mode Of carrying it ulske-
no difference with her merchants whether
our produce is ten days or twenty days on
the passage eyer-the loss Of time, inter
est, insurance. and risk being wholly with
Us
Nor will they derive any advantage from
quiekened Communication by its tenden-
ey to draw capital. population, o. any Of
the aids to material prosperity from oar
Islands to their own shores. Hence we
usAy safely eOoelude that California, sure
Of being the natural market for our pro
duets. Is quite Indifferent whether they
reach her by steam or by sail
The oFsnion long prevalent IN the Uni
TED States, that neighborh0od makes these
Islands Of commercial importance TO them,
and otbe- Considerations Of i general IA
sure. did isiaee Congress TO order that the
great lzs-P4ei6e line to China should
touch AZ Ho1oIulu. Still later, these rea-
sous caused subsidy 10 be granted to-
wards establishing terminal line. Both
Of these laws. Is originally passed. contain
ed rsgulatioos As 10 the frequency Of trips,
which. though not all that could be desir-
ed BY Us. were Sufficient to be the promise
ard guerdOu Of better things IN the future F;
the 5syel pment Of Il stsam-eommuniea-
tiou which should afford rs all the help
and be1eit to be derived from such coz
ueetioB- But hardly had these two avs
passed Congress ere they began to be
changed the provision IN one was repeal
ed altogether. the other 80 modified. that
however 1t may meet the needs Of Califor-
nisus. ! not at al equal 70 our necessities.
Ouly one deduction can be drawn from
this bit Of steam-e0umuHicatiOu-histOCy, It
Is. that the interest OF the American pso-
PIE IN Us Is not large enough to induce
either Congress or the Californians to pay
al the bills FOE keeping up frequent trips
Of steamers On this rogte. nor do they pro-
pose to saddle themselves with the under
taking.
We may ded1ce a little more, that hav-
ing granted Subsidy for two years and
found an American company willing to try
it-sh0gld the roQte prove financially DIS
4strogS viii require no great persua-
siou for Congress to annul the contract
altogether. There Is no substantial rea-
son at present, why American capital or
American public funds should be lost on
this steam route.
When We can bring no convincing aryu-
ment Why our ueighbors should help Us
any more, It Is wise to PROFOUND the ques-
tioo, can We help ourselves, and s It pru-
dent to DO sos
Steam communication with san Fran
cisco Is desirable thing. Its establish
ment may interfere at first with other pFi-
Tsts interests. bot IN the long run It's ben
e6ts viii accrue to al, and It's stimulus be
felt IN all kinds Of business. Trips once
IN six weeks, all that Is now required BY
Congress. are rather a disadvantage than
otherwise to Us Trips once IN twenty
days SOGld enable Us to derive the prarti-
ca benefits which We desire.
There can be 10 expectation that Con
gress VII raise their subsidy to Increase
the Frequency Of trips, nor can any calea-
latioEs show that our trade VII warrant
the putting OF another steamer on the
route By the company at their own risk
Careful analysis Of the Extraordinarily
tables for 1861 shows that the freight val
us at $500 per too ca cur principal do
neste products. hence to san francisco,
amsqns so.--..-...-- s6a575
md goods thence here say ------- 1900
Passenger transportation both ways
with Calm q $50 and Steer
age a $40, say 5000
Total .----..----S Is4575
II al this ca rying could be concentrated
4 a steamer Inc, which vii never hap
pen Ehs vessel making tEenty-ooe day
trips. Or eighteen per pear could Ouly
earn STAG The Gust Of each trip nay
be averaged ia whole Numbers At $4,000.
There Is no ind1eemsat thea for cspi-
tzIIsts to pot On steamers for the profits
nor are the prospects 30 catering that
they vii risk heavy losses With the e1pee-
tation that the future vii recuperzte them
Neither the subsidy by the Uaited States.
mar that sought fcm Us, VIII balance the