The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-07-01
Withdrawal Of the Whaling
Fleet.


Periodically, Of late years. the an0ouneeBeat
has been made that the whaleships were going %
desert these Islands and make some other Place
fbeir depot for supplies and the trznshipDent Of
their ergoe=. This has been 50 often tod Us,
without any result In that direction, that We
have come 70 regard IL, 80 70 speak, as settled
that the whaiers naust come 70 Honolulu that
our facilities in al respects. we're superior 70
those Of any other port N this ocean and that 50
long as northern whaling was carried on we
should reap the benefit OF our fall and spring
seasOus.
Now, boxeysr, IL appears that the long threat
ened Bereavement is actually % come. We really
are g0ing 70 lose our friends the Ehalers. The
statement lie made On undeniable authority that q
contract OF arrangement has been concluded
between the owners Of wbaleships in the East,
and the Pacific Rail Road Company, by which ali
ships IN this ocean which have oil 70 send home,
viii be ordered 70 Oakland TO discharge The
Road Is - provide oil cars, or tanks on wheels,
into which the oil viii be discharged from along
side the wharf, and thus transported across the
continent and delivered al the sioreb0uses OF New
Bedford, at the low rate Of seCen cents per CALM
freight Taking into account the expense Of dis
charge, eo0perage, gauging, new casks, commits
H0ns, exchange, and transhipment around TIE
Horn, as the business l. now carried On, a very
large saving ~ill result by the rans-eOntinental
route. Besides sending home the seasons catch,
ships can receive By the same route, al their
supplies for fitting out on another cruise, direct
from their owners. One great objection 70 whalers
calling al San Francjseo has formerly been, the
difficulty Of getting crews, and this too has now
been overcome, and 1t is asserted that men Of the
right stamp for whalers' crews can be easily OBJ
tanned there, on as favorable terms az elsewhere.
Year by year, since 1853, the whaling business
has declined in the United States Whale and
sperm oils have had 10 compete with petroleum
and cotton-seed oils, and while the production of
the fisheries has been decreasing, the usual effect
Of advance IN price arising from decreased pro-
duction Is not felt in this industry to that extent
which eompensates in part for bad luck in fishing.
Under all these circumstances, il IL simply a
matter of course that the ship-owners should
avail themselves of the facilities afforded By the
overland route, and 50 far from being surprised
at it, a little reflection might have shown years
ago that such would be the inevitable result Of
the completion of the great railway.
Now that we are compelled TO part with the
whaling business, or at all events the largest and
most lucrative share Of it, we may justly remem-
Der the great benefits that we have derived from
it in years past. 1t may truly be said that the
whaling business has made Honolulu what 1t is,
and has furnished, in a large degree. the capital
which has brought our agricultural development
to its present advanced condition In every
trade and business of the country, the advent of
the feet Of whalers in the fall season, has been
habitually looked forward TO as the period when
times would become brisk and money easy.
Shipments from abroad were ordered, transac-
tons IN merchandise were made and liabilities
incurred largely, with these considerations in
view. These facts are patent.
But 1t now remains for Us thus left TO our own
resources, 10 look these changed conditions in the
face, and set ourselves diligently at work to de-
wise ways and means to meet the deficit. FOrtu-
nately, We have been forewarned, and are in a
measure forearmed. Our agricultural produc-
ton for export is already large, and capable of a
vast expansion, and onthis resource we must main
ly depend. 1t will be the duty of Government in
every possible way to foster and encourage our
agricultural enterprises. and to divert 10 that d.
r%ection the material support that has hitherto
been given to the wbalers. There are many and
cogent reasons why We may ourselves become a
manufacturing as well as an agricultural people.
And we propose to return to this subject in a sue
ceeding number.