The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-10-02

HoNoLULU, Sept. 29tb. 1876.
TO the Eifor Of he Pacific CoHuasTcial advertiser:
SIR hope you have before this recovered from
the effects Of your spreading out by the Gasofis cor
respondent " Malihini"
lam not surprised that 'Malihini" should complain
Of the tbinness Of the material he had TO deal with.
or that he found so little to spread out ia studying
your very perspicuous aud pertinent remarks re-
garding the building Of a steamer here. In fact,
your argument was so reasonable aud complete that
you left him little to spread, and therefore you have
incurred " Malihini's'' maledictions. lie looked for
bread and butter, and he found bread and scraPe;
or perhaps. you buttered his bread on the wrong
side. and in picking it up he CREASED his fingers, and
got mad; and forthwith rushes to the Ga=eHe with
his last dying speech and confession, the views en-
bodied therein representing those of the Insignificant
minority, the " Anti Steam Association"
feel sorry for Malihini, - my heart yearns to
buy from him at a reduced figure the two old an-
tiquated schooners he has laid up. / feel like putting
in at my own expense n one or two horsepower
windmill, (Old serers Of cOurse) to enable him to
make better time with his boats. l regret, on " Ma
lihini's' account. that planters and producers have
discarded these bellies Of the ocean," and l am
sick at heart 90 think that passengers prefer n blow
up in our worn out steamer, rather than a blow
back TO the port from whence they started; and ]
am dismayed at the prospect that all the blowing
that 9 Malihini'' can do on behalf Of his sehooners,
win not induce the public to patronize them.
The centennial Of +" Malihini's'' birth cannot be far
distants the school to which he belongs is well nigh
extinct The "Malihini's" who opposed railroads
and steamboats,, because they owned stage coaches
and canal packets. and considered there would be no
further uses for men or horses, are, with their theo-
ries exploded, and all that remain have escaped TO
the Sandwich Islands, 10 stay If possible the march
of civilization and to show US b~enighted people how
to progress backwards. Let us be thankful they are
too few and unimportant to do us any harm.
Now says " Malihini"--" the question arises,
do We need a new steamer ?" | thought this question
had arisen some years ago, and been answered too
by nine-tenths Of the population. by Kings and
Legislature, and by the appropriation Of a sum Of
mOney-in the affirmative. Come, come, - Malihi-
ni;'' none of your Rip van Wrinkle tricks. or think
we shall credit you with having been asleep for the
last forty years. And il so,'' he continues, 90 are
the Government TO furnish il, / say No 80 Well,
"Mahilini'' you can, if you like; but lay the fat
tering JUNCTION to your soul that your individual
negative will be disregarded by the Government, and
all who have the interests and progress Of the coun-
try at heart. In answer to "Malihini's'' pathetic
appeal, | will say that ! am not aware Of any one
who cannot get their produce to market some time or
other; but L do know that the present steamer Is pa
tronized beyond her capabilities and powers, and
that she is totally unfit and incompetent for the SER
vices required of her. But it would appear that
Malihini would be satisfied If the steamer was built
by private enterprise. "What right"-he exclaims.
have the Government to be in opposition 70 priYetef
enterprise Y'-Does " Malihini" elect TO hang uph0
hat on this pegi Does he believe that the private
enterprise exists here TO undertake q work Of such
magnitude Not he; he knows he might safely 20 to
sleep for another forty years, and waking up find
the steamer still unbuilt. Have other Governments
failed to construct railways and steamers because
the Pickfords and the Cobbs and other great carry
ing Companies have cried out on opposition 7 Look
at what is going on at this moment in New Zealand
"A country in many particulars resembling ours.
Not only have they owned steamers which when not
otherwise required have been placed open for freight
and passengers-so important do they consider rapid
and frequent inter-island communication-but they
have inaugurated a mighty system Of railway, at a
cost OF many sterling, which will, according 70
" Malihinis" theory, lay up 40 or 30 steamers and
the feet Of sailing vessels which now perform their
inter-provincial and inter-island trade. The Govern
ment is the father Of the country; and If private
enterprise does not show q disposition or c~apability
to meet an imperative necessity, they have every
right to step in and provide for the convenience Of
the people. If no other reason existed than the pos
sible exigencies Of the public service, the political
features OF the case imperatiyely demand that the
Government should absolutely control o steam vessel,
and as they cannot afford 10 maintain one for state
purposes alone, the public and the taxpayer is bene-
Rtted by the supplying Of a convenience that cannot
be furnished as cheaply or as efficiently by other
means. If "Malihini's" hat peg is the other yard,
no one will object to his proposal. would simply
suggest that instead Of building two steamers (Which
are not both needed) that the new steamer be Twins,
one twin to be furnished by each Lumber yard. 1t
is rumored the Government intend immediate &C
ton. | venture to predict that many sounder men
in this community than " Malihini'' will be found,
who will endorse their action and strengthen their
hands. "Malihini's' frstly will not suffer in con-
sequence, and his secondly will be carried out to the
letter.
am told the writer's signature implies a ''strang-
err | apologize If my remark may seem ia any way
discourteous; but before taking leave Of him / would
observe, that he does not appear 10 be q stranger to
anything IN 90 remarkable a degree, as he assuredly
is TO CoMMoS SENSE