The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-07-15
A Twist in the Facts.

The American Consul at Sydney, we Judge, is an
indefatigable man and means to make his line of
chartered steamers a success if possible. He is en-
titled to the credit OF inaugurating the pioneer steam
ship line between Australia and California. No
doubt he has encountered strong opposition, both
fair and foul. The public is not to blame if they do
not believe that his line, which comprises two small
chartered ships, will be a success. 1t requires a
solid capital, and ships of the best capacity, to insure
success. Can Mr.. Hall come into the field at once
with not less than a million dollars of backing CAPT.
tai, and at least four good, strong, new ships of not
less than 1000 tons burden each -? If he cannot, it
is not apparent how he is to establish a permanent
and successful line, at a time when another company
has five ships in commission (three of which are
among the best a1oat), and has a large working
capital. Mr.. Halls position is a remarkable one, to
say the least. As an American Consul he is sup
posed to represent American interests but being
personally interested in a steamship venture of his
own, which includes the charter of two foreign ships
for the time being, he is also interested in talking
down an American line of steamships to Australia.
If Mr.. Hall would drop his Consular Office, we do
not know that his enterprise in steamship business
would be open to any public criticism. As a private
individual, the misrepresentation of American in
terests would not be any worse than in a hundred
other instances
Under date of March 81. 1871, at the Consulate
office in Sydney. Nh. Hall, in a letter to the Sydney
Chamber of Commerce, makes the following state
ment 81 have it from undoubted authority that
the proposed Webb line will not be subsidized by
the American Government. 1 ascertained while ut
San Francisco that it was not favorably looked upon
by the merchants there, believing that it is q specu-
lation for the purpose of enabling Webb to dispose of
his steamers, which are totally unfit to carry out any
mail service"
Now. If Consul Hall did not know that this state
ment was untrue, he had the means of knowing it,
and coLn9 not well have missed the facts without
keeping himself, while in San Francisco, closely
blindfolded. In q short time two of the largest
steamers of the Webb line will be in Australian waters.
No other refutation of the Consul's statement viii be
needed than an inspection of these ships.
If Mr.. Hall wants to adopt the cheap tactics of
Misrepresentation, he ought by all means to vacate
the Office of American Consul; failing to do this, the
Government should do it for him. We have had
some crooked sticks in our consular Offices; but most
of them had pride enough to refrain from directly
talking down and depreciating American interests.
Let Mr.. Hall, as a citizen of Australia fight out this
steamship war on that line. He has pluck, energy
and q most facile command of language. and the
talent of putting things so that the worse is some
times made to appear the better. As q pioneer, he
is entitled to credit. One of his ships appeared in
American waters before any ship of the rival compa-
ny was seen in Australian waters. He has done
wonders with the most slender resources. So much
energy deserves success, save where it is directed to
talking an American line of steamship out of exis-
tence.-S. F. Bulletin, June p.