The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-12-21
The WhaIers Again.

In our issue Of the eth inst. in an arti-
Gle headed " Our Prospects, we took
occasion, ia view Of the falling off of the
whaling business, to congratulate our
readers upon the fact that, although this
business, which had been of such import
ance 10 the country,-which had done so
much, in fact, to create the present com
mercial prosperity Of this Kingdom, had
IN comparison TO its former importance
nearly ceased. this country was in a posi-
ton 10 get along very comfortably with
cut them. We had not the slightest in
tention Of saying anything at which the
Whalers IN port, or out Of it, could reason
ably take offence, and up to date we have
not heard Of any of them having felt
a-grieved at our remarks. When we
published the article in question, we knew
how dangerous II was for this paper 10
say ~whaler,1 because It has been the an
uual cry for years, that the policy of the
GAzEITE has been 20 drive the whalers
away. a year ago such was the positive
nature Of the accusation that the GA
zErTE had at last succeeded in driving
them away, that We were hardly prepared
10 see nearly the whole feet again visiting
here this fall, and doing their business in
the same quiet, intelligent manner as
usual. never limiting that any one had
tired to drive them away from here, and
showing that they do not require the as
sistance Of their demonstrative friends Of
the Adratiser to jealously watch over
them lest they should be insulted. We
presume that they can take care of them
selves. and the feeble efforts of the above
named paper IN It's issues Of last week and
tie week before, TO take Us to task because
we simply said that the time was not far
distant when we should have no North
Pacific whaling feet, and when in conse-
Quence. the important aud lucrative buSi-
ness which has been carried on in the ports
OF this Kingdom with the whalers must
come 10 an end Now, We would like to
know who, acquainted with the business,
VII deny the above assertion. Are our
merchants this year doing the business
with them-even in proportion to numbers
that they have done in former years
By no means; the reason being, that
nearly half the ships are going home"
and require but few supplies, while the
business, 10 make it profitable, requires
the most rigid economy ON the part of
those who remain to Try another season
north Their supplies are sent to them
and they exchange with each other as
they have a right to dol, by which means
they are enabled TO refit and recruit in the
most economical manner, making all there
Is % be made IN the business and saving 1t
for themselves and owners. Now, we are
told thai the business does not pay, even
under these circumstances, with good
catches: that the risk of sending ships to
the Arctic 10 remain until the middle of
October, or else return to port empty, is
too great TO be persevered in. We notice
that some Of our shrewdest merchants here
are Withdrawing their vessels from the
business; and certainly we have advan-
tages in fitting out, and in our proximity
TO the whaling grounds, over any port on
the AtlaItic
Probably If, in noticing the decadence in
the whaling business decadence caused
simply by the fact that it probably viii
not pay f1r the labor and risk involved
We had ignored the fact that, owing to the
enterprise of capitalists and Others, agri-
cuiture would continue to make the coun-
Try prosperous, and advised everybody to
pC1 on saekoloth and 90 out aud starve,
re should probably have met the views of
or eOntempOrary-and wouldn't have In
sultei the Ehalers