The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-07-13

( THE OBVIOUSLY preferable policy for the Ha-
waiian authorities to pursue with regard to for
eign commerce., should be one of all possible
encouragement, within reasonable bounds. While
we cannot go to the extreme Of advocating, az do
some, the making of Honolulu n free port, yet
we opine that sensible men will agree with us in
the pOstulatuR that all possible facilities should
be afforded 20 ships calling here, and that only
those impediments or diseOuragcments be per-
mitted to remain IN their way that cannot be
avoided. We are not in such afluent circum-
stances ourselves that we can afford TO run the
risk Of disgusting the chance customers that the
sea may bring us, by a system of petty e%xactiOns.
High port charges and incomprehensible red tape
accounts may do for cities like San Francisco,
which Commands the commerce of the Pacific,
but the system must prove our downfall, if
attempted to be carried out here.
An instance in point occurred one day this
week. A merchant brig arrived off this port
from Tahiti, via Starbuck Island, and bound to
San Francisco. The Captain had no other object
in calling here than to land one passenger, whom
as an act Of kindness he bad brought from Star
buck. The landing of that single passenger was
all the business transacted at the port of Homo
AANAB vi HhtNlJ hOnONCA LLC VI TIC Nc6-
sci paid into the Hawaiian exchequer the sum of
thirty-oRe dollars. No wonder that, finding
himself required to pay so much for so little,
the prudent skipper concluded not to risk enter
ing the port, where he was promised 4 full
freight, but where, Judging from the small spec
linen he had already experienced OF our clever
ness at charging, he doubtless feared tue ultimate
bill might compel him to resort TO hypothecation
and so he sailed out Of our jurisdiction without
delay. The following were the items in the bill
AnchOdng outside PHotis )........---...-... SO 90
Custom House s 90
Visit Of Port Physician. 10 90
Boat hire Of Port Physician , 90
The two FIST are Legitimate charges under the
law, though undoubtedly too high, but the last
two are novel exerescencies, rank fungous vege-
%tation, grated upon the system of port charges
by that extrajudicial body, the Board of Health.
The law requires the pilot, on boarding a vessel
arriving here from a foreign port, TO present the
bill of health for the signature of the master,
and in case he refuses to sign that document, the
vessel is to be Immediately placed in quarantine.
The law if properly executed, provides ample
guards against the entrance of any vessel carry
ing q contagious disease. Where then is the
necessity of this new regulation of the enforced
paying for a visit Of n port physician TO a ship
coming from a known healthy port, and the mas
ter of which has of course signed the bill Of
health prescribed by law?
This new addition to our already high list of
port charges may perhaps prove to be but a tenn
porary measure, the result of a mortal fright and
a frantic impulse to do something, and impress
everybody with the sense of our wonderful care
and thoughtfulness. Seeing that we have the
smallpox among us, it is but fair to presume that
every other port in the world is similarly afflicted,
and 30 we will just use our little brief authority
and tax every ship that touches here, ten dollars
for our port physician and three dollars for the
bOat-boys. Thus will we encourage the visits of
passing ships and give the port of Honolulu a
good name abroad.
The Office of port physician for Honolulu has
heretofore been n merely nominal one, the actual
duties being next to nothing, except on the occur
renee of a very rare eyent-the arrival of a vessel
from some foreign port, having on board cOntag-
ious disease, or the master of which vessel de-
clines to sign the health certificate. 1t remained
for the individuals claiming to exercise the func-
tions of a legally constituted Board of Health to
thus Extensively bring to public notice the exist
cnce of this Office.
IL IL DC realty necessary 10 provide an income
for this heretofore mythical Office, let it be pro-
vided for in a regular and legal way, and not by
hampering our dwindling m with addi-
tional v~exatious taxes.
1t is reported that the payment of this tax has
been refused in one instance when demanded.
Let the so-called Board of Health attempt to
enforce payment, and then the action of the
last resort against petty tyranny
will settle the legal questions that arise.