The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-12-16
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial A0berttser.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER I6.
Preaching VS.. Practice.

The very able and sensible views entertained
by 'Inquirer'' in his communication in the
Gazette in reference to the expediency of paying
a subsidy to the Webb line Of steamers between
Australia, New Zealand and Honolulu, has drawn
out an editorial in last weeks Gazette, in which
the soundness of {" Inquirer's" reasoning is adj
mitted, while the expediency of following out the
prudent suggestions made is questioned.
The premises upon which the Gazette seems to
have founded It's objections are. in our opinion,
incorrect, and the line of argument based upon
them faulty from that cause. The writer seems
to take it for granted that unless this Government
helps the Webb line along with its petty subsidy,
that the enterprise will fall to the ground there
fore, while it would 90 honor exceedingly the pru-
dence of those VINO would counsel against it." ii.
e.,rhe proposed subsidy grant, SO still as two thou
sand dollars a month may make the difference be-
tween a small profit and a small loss, % it thinks
our duty is to secure Mr.. Webb against this
"small loss" To do so we must run in debt our
selves, for as the necessity seems to have arisen
Tor borrowing money to erect public buildings,
every dollar spent on steamship lines, for our
present benefit, will add to the load that sour
children will have to carry IN the future.
NIA4ob bnC
contracts are yet unsigned 10y the Australian
g~overnment) and help establish the line. Just
how that is to be managed we cannot see. Mr..
Webb is now probably negotiating with the Aus
tralian governments, and though we duly appre-
ciate the Difference paid to Hawaii by other gov
ernments, and are even willing to believe that air.
Webb might submit to being dictated to by our
ministers, with the privilege of course of doing as
he pleased in the end, still, our overweening sense
of our own Importance as q nation, has its limits,
and so we are inclined to believe that the line will
be firmly established between San Francisco and
Sydney or Melbourne, without frst obtaining our
decision in regard to the subsidy. Setting aside
the probability of the Australian Governments
waiting for our decision before signing the con-
tracts as absurd, We are lead to the conclusion
that Mr.. Webb left here with the assurance that
this government would be prepared to grant him
the sum appropriated, in the event of his secur-
ing the monied aid of the Governments with
whom he intended to negotiate. And this inter-
probation of the editorial under consideration,
given US an explanation of the reasons for the la
bored efforts to cover over 8" Inquirer's'' argu-
ments.
Any line established between San Francisco,
Honolulu, and Sydney or Melbourne, must be
prepared to encounter losses, and "hope for fur
Their Improvements in profits as business may de-
-velop ITSELF" In other words, the establishing Of
such a line must be a Speculation " in the strict
sense of the word, and though the Gazette writer
would not counsel any increase of the public
debt or the creating of one for any mere specuza-
the good"-still it considers Z" it advisable to offer
some suggestions why the summary be paid
With these two quotations we leave the editorial;
merely remarking that if the object of the Ga
Sefte in I" welcoming discussion on this point, . be,
to secure a sufficient number of arguments to
present to Mr.. Webb, upon his return, why the
subsidy should not be paid, that object is accom-
plished. While if, on the contrary, the Organ
wishes rs to understand that the minds of those
who control its stops is made up to make the ex-
penditure, nothing more need be said-at present.