The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-01-20
Practical suggestions for the
GOVernment and People,.


To Tie Editor Of the Pacific Commercial Adceriis r. 4:
In your issue of January 18th. you had an ar Gle
on dry docks that struck me as being very sag-
gestive, albeit l must take exception to some portion.
In the first place L fully agree with you that su. a
dock as you propose would be Of great service l. e,
and would show all interested in ocean traffic at
we are DESTROYS of drawing to us as much G. he
Pacific Ocean transportation as we can. Ip ,ne
sense, we owe it to the commerce Of this J lis-
phere that we should do all that we can to axe
this mid-ocean harbor, a rendezvous for q the
many vessels crossing from continent TO cor ent,
or moving north and south. Naturally favu 4 as
we are with a fine harbor, easily accessible a all
w~eathers, ought We not to still further impror it by
building, not only dock-room, wharfage ano store
houses, and in erecting lighthouses and sigr I sta
tons, but also in providing efficient towage foi disa-
bled vessels, in order that they may cross the bar in
safety, and such appliances for repairing them, that
they will always be assured of being made sea-
worthy again if doing SO is within the range of pos
sibilities? 1 acknowledge, what is apparent to all,
that the science of boring a ship is known and
practiced here in q manner that commands admira-
ton and praise from all who have witne ,sed the
operation; but there are repairs to be made OCCASION
ally to vessels, that, if they are done at all With the
help of q box, are necessarily slow and expensive,
(and | may add temporary as compare. to the
thorough overhauling that can be given a vessel in u
dry dock. Now the first question that vii be asked
by nine out of ten is, will it pay to b. Id such q
dock? And l am free to answer" No.; not as a
private enterprise And this leads me to speak Of
my exception. L do not agree with you in saying
that such an enterprise should not be "a Government
measure. With the fact that the expenditure Of say
S2oO.OOO for such Il purpose (and your dock would
not cost a cent less, while it might b a good deal
mOrel, would not nav 10 Der cent on the amouut
invested, We shut the door in the face Of private
enterprise; and as the advantages attendant upon
the having Of such a dock remain in full force, /
think that it is plain that we must look at the enter
prise as a national one, and the Government as the
proper agent OF the nation to construct it.
L have heard some remark that a sectional, or
floating dock would not cost as much as Il dry dock,
with its huge basin of cutstone, and powerful pumps
and appliances; and though it is true that the first
cost would be considerably less Oh the first mentioned
one, yet in a very few years the million and a half
feet OF timber used in the construction would demand
as large an outlay for annual repairs, as is expended
on a ship containing the same quantity Of timber,
while the dry dock properly constructed, would
require but a comparatively small sum to keep it in
good order, and that sum need be no larger twenty
years from the time Of construction, than it would
be during the first.
OF course the building Of such a work would take
a long time, and the Government would be obliged
10 issue its bonds in payment of the contractors to
the various portions Of the work. Now with many,
the idea of mourning a large public debt is simply
nOTrlOle anu Wlen Sucn q UeDl Is incurred IOr
= merely speculative purposes" | fully agree in
the sentiment felt by the abborrers spoken of. But
when it can be shown that the expenditure Of q
large sum Of money will result in the establishment
of u national monument OF skill, enterprise and
forethought-as a dock Of the kind proposed would
be- am Of the opinion that this Government would
be fully justified i'll undertaking the work. Let US
begin by negotiating a loan for u million Of dollars if
need be, call IN all our scattering obligations such As
the = SIP, 900 loan, 4" the " Hotel Bonds &c, &c,
and commence the construction Of our dry dock as
soon as possible.
Such an enterprise as this if once undertaken,
should be carried forward with spirit, and be COM
pleted as quickly as would be consistent with stability
and good workmanship; and here comes in the ques-
ton OF labor. Not that We have not amongst US a
large number of skilled mechanics who, in their
different vacations could be employed in sufficient
number 10 carry forward rapidly their share Of the
work, but / speak more particularly Of the LG6OrerS
that would be needed in large numbers. Where are
we going TO get them? Why not empower the
Government to draft into its service all the idle male
population of the islands? What good reason does
there exist, for not compelling the labor Of those
who now live amongst US without visible means Of
support!
1t may be said that such a course would SAVIOR Of
despotism, and 1 am willing to call it such. We
have amongst US a large number of young men who
will not work, who ostain money in some way, and
who are well clothed, aud, to Judge from their ap-
pearauce, abundantiy fed.
Can they claim, under any pretext Of g freedom Of
action - or " liberty of will - 10 be exempt from the
curse Of labor? and can our greatest ii. E., most i'm
practicable) philanthrOpists excuse them from contri-
butIng their share of honest toll to the grand total,
the fruits Of which are seen in our prosperity, and the
decadence Of which must be followed by moral and
financial ruin II msy be urged by those who never
do or conceive Of an original thing, that we have no.
8 precedent" amongst civilized nations for such a
course. Let me remind such that we have no in
stance outside Of Hawaii, of the mass of the young