The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-12-30
steam subsidIes Arain.

be well to note facts that may have some influence
in deciding the question. Any subsidy We may
have to give should be in proportion to the bene-
fits derived from a steam service. and, secondly,
the desire shown by persons controlling the service
to favor US. Probably many of our merchants sent
special orders forward for goods for the Christmas
season, expecting to receive them at the latest by
the 18th or 10th OF this month. Receiving them. as
we did, ON the 25th, our customers have accepted
1" Hobson's choice " or made up their minds to go
without. The delay in receiving the goods arose
from a desire to favor Australia and New Zealand
therefore l claim that Australia and New Zealand
should pay for the privileges they enjoy. Again
Our merchants had sugars and other island pro-
duce waiting to go forward to the California mar
ket but our Australian and New Zealand friends
had products to go forward, SO ours must wait for
the sailing packets. l reiterate let Australia and
New Zealand pay for their advantages. | have
no doubt but that the steamer folks will tell us
that all these complaints will find a cure by the
placing of larger vessels on the route in fact,
they will be proiuse in promises. l have watched
the opening up OF new routes with a great deal of
interest and have always found that way ports have
to take what is left after terminal ports are salts
fed. Our position is that of a /" way house, y where
horses are changed on long stage routes. All that
we require to have ready for these ocean stages are
q sufficient number of men to put Goals on board, a
shop where they may be shod in case a horse casts
a shoe, provisions for supply in case OF a miscalcu-
lation or accident, and a restaurant where passen-
gers can get a meal or two. Some will say that
this is overdrawn but to such L would say give
me an instance where any large expenditure has
been made here for repairs or provisions. 1t is only
lately that l heard it said that eggs and poultry
were brought from San Francisco to supply the
Australian boats. 1t is doubtless a fine thing to
say that we have three or four steamers a month
coming here; but how empty the honor. 1t seems TO
me that we are making preparations upon too
grand a scale. We are suffering under the delu-
sion that we are of much Importance to the various
steam routes. established and nrOSnpefiyp- and look
to San Francisco, Auckland. Sydney and Melbourne
for an example as to what we should do for steam
lines. / would commend to those who rule, not
guide, our destiny the fable of the frog and the OK.
OBSERVER.
TThe structures of our correspondent sob
server" are it strikes us, open to criticism. 1t
is not fair to say that the delay in receiving goods
at this port per last steamer '' arose from a desire
to favor Australia and New Zealand when the
well-known fact is that the delay was owing to
the detention of snow-bound trains on the CONT
nent. Suppose that the steamer had arrived here
without the Eastern mails, not having waited for
them in San Francisco, would not {" Observer "
and others of his somewhat hasty style of fault
finding, have growled without measured Again,
our correspondent complains that the produce OF
our Australian and New Zealand friends goes
forward by the steamers. while our own sugars
and other island produce must wait for the sailing
packets. All the better for the sailing packets,
say we. But let us ask what would {" Observer"
say were he a shipper from New Zealand to San
Francisco, and it should be proposed to leave his
wool on the wharf at this halfway station, to
make room for Honolulu sugars. What q bluster
he would be likely to get into He pretty cor
rectly describes our position in regard to the
Trans-Pacifc m and travel, when he COM
pares us to a " way-house." But it may be
added that in time the !" way-house :" grows into
a village, and the village into a thriving town,
all through its originally possessing the &dvant-
ages of a mere +" way-house." The fable of the
frog and the OK is well put for the consideration
of the Ministry, but we do not anticipate that
the steamship subsidy question is the one that
will cause them to swell to the bursting point.I
To the Editor of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser /:
Sir As your paper and likewise the Gazette
have both given an incorrect statement of the man
ner in which the bark .Ataldnta was brought into
port, after getting ashore on the evening of the i4th
inst, l hope you viii give insertion to the following
in your next issue.
After entering the channel on the date mentioned,
and passing the shoalest water-the vessel drawing
twenty-one feet and four inches-the pilot. Captain
Mcintyre, gave orders to the captain of the tug-boat
to put his helm hard aport, and go ahead strong,
but the order was not obeyed, consequently the YES
sci sheered over to the west bank and went ashore,
where she remained seven hours and a half, thump-
ing heavily the whole time. Hawsers were run out
and every e~xertion used to heaye the vessel of, but
without success; 1 sent ashore for more hawsers,
men and lighters, and after receiving them, CON-
menced discharging coal into the lighters, and con-
tinually heaving on the lines at the same time. The
wind towards midnight finally hauled sufficiently to
the westward SO that the sails could be used to adj
vantage. aud shortly after midnight the vessel was
got off with the assistance of her sails end heaving
steadily on the hswsers. We then anchored with
forty fathoms chain, and moorcd to the buoys on
each side Of the channel, where the vessel laid till
daylight then slipped the anchor with thirty
fathoms chain and came into port under sail.
The tug-boat left us almost Immediately after we
got ashore, and all the assistance she gave after that
time, was to take the schooner which was coming of
in tow of the Sedan and tow her alongside. The
next morning, when the vessel was being got uDder-
way in charge of the pilot. who remained on board
the whole time, the ting came alongside and took a
line from the starboard bow, to assist in winding her
arounu, DuI ac ~ Has impOc5iOio y HafS IL OTutrS
of the pilot obeyed, we cast of from her. and man
aged without her assistance. If the tug had taken
a hawser from our starboard quarter as was re-
quested shortly after we struck, to tow us astern,
the vessel being all afoat aft, she could have got of
within an hour from the time she struck. As these
are facts of the Gaze, Mr.. Editor, you will perceive
how much credit is due to the tug. especially in our
getting sfOat and coming into port. as both papers
have mentioned. Messrs. Hackfeld & Co., to whom
my cargo is consigned, requested Captain Wakeman
to come of and assist me, and to his valuable exer-
tons, and those of Captain Mcintyre, the pilot, 1
have to thank in . great measure, that the -df0Ianta
was brought into port in the manner she was.
The steam launch Sedan, in charge of Mr.. VIM
Phuger, was engaged several hours during the first
part Of the night In carrying messages and bringing
of lines, men and material from shore. and render
ing valuable aid,
Uoping these remarks viii find a place in your
columAg, as It is q piece Of injustice to give credit