The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-03-27
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AOOrrtl5ct
~SATURDAY. MARCH p.

S4TTRDAY J. Ma Ron p.
Tue DELAY in tire arrival Of the mail steamer
from the Et-t this week, through by no means a
matter for surprise az this season Of the year, has
nevertheless and quite naturally been the subject
oi general remark on tie street and in business
circles, and the listener could hear expressions Of
dissatisfaction with the line, more or less we'll
considered. such as" The 2. VI. line i really
OF but little use 10 us, and we would be better of
without b. d. n there were no steamers we
should have a mail every week by sailing
vessels. b. We ought 70 have a ssmi-mouthly
line " steamers VI 1ur own and much more Jf
the same tenor.
II iz uuquesfiDnaJle that tie flying visits
Of the boats Of the p. NJ. Company to our port
are by u, means satisfactory to our community,
either Of the travelling OF mercantile classes. for
all are kept in a fever Of hurry and inconveni-
euce thereby. and are generally treated with
seant consideration by the Company employees.
The idea on lheir part would seem to be that as
Honolulu i only a way port, they are doing Us a
great favor in stopping here at all, and that
therefore We have no right to grumble, but
should take with due humility aud thankrulness
whatever these ocean gods choose to give Us.
Let Us examine this question somewhat, and
-1~NANAiA NAtINGA ~ uyA VIC nave any ttGltADAE
right to expect more consideration from this line
than we have az yet received.
The last Legislature appropriated the sum of
S3G 900 a. subsidy for the biennial period for
the steamers Of this line, with the proyIso how
ever that the company was to run an intermediate
boat between Honolulu and San Francisco, so as
70 make the service a s~emi-monthly one. For a
time the small steamer 81. Paul was employed on
this service, was always full of freight and pas
sengers both ways, and despite her somewhat
Limited accommodations, was popular with the
travelling community. While this vessel was
kept on the route, the subsidy of 81 500 per
month was paid by the Government, but after
her withdrawal and up to the present date,
81 1000 per month mas been paid, in accordance
with the terms of the grant. This sum may in
deed be but a triae to a wealthy corporation like
the p. VI. Co., but 1t is quite a considerable sum
to a small and by 10 means rich government like
ours. Besides the money subsidy, the steamers
are exempt from port charges for light houses,
buOys, wharfage, and water from the government
pipes, and their Goals, machinery and supplies
are admitted duty free, while the vessels laden
with such Goals, etc. are also exempt from port
charges. Free storage Is also granted. A few
figures, which may be gathered from the Custom
House statistics, will show that the average
business done by the steamers at this port each
visit amounts approximately to say SO, 1000 for
freight, and 81 900 for passengers, which. with
the subsidy of 8 900 gives a sum total of 5 5000
for each trip. Two trips are made each month,
one to and one from San Francisco, aud allowing
a somewhat smaller freight from that port to Ho-
nOlulu, the fact still remains that the charges are
49, sl. -
SO to So from San Francisco so that we actu-
ally contribute to the support of the p. NJ. Co,
about $3.50, 900 per annum, besides the remission
Of harbOr dues, etc, etc. 1t must, we think, be
conceded that the company is very handsomely
remunerated for the modicum of accommodation
which they afford this community.
The question recurs-is there any serious OBJ
stacle to prevent our having a semi-monthly
line Of steamers to San Francisco, owned either
wholly here, or cOnjointly with our San Francisco
neighboTs? We have argued IN favor of such an en-
terprise in these columns in former years, when
our annual exports, without the fostering infu-
ence Of reciprocity, were less by two millions Of
dollars than they are to-day. The argument.
then adduced IN favor Of an independent line
have much greater weight now. Were our plant
ers and business men owners of stock in such a
line, full Ieights for the boats would be ensured,
and as these would remain in port several days
at each port, the travelling public would find it
advantageous to PratrOnize them, as reasonable
time would be allowed in which to transact bust
ness and make all needed arrangements. For the
encouragement Of such a line, no one in the gov
erment out Of it. would object to the granting of
AFFAIR subsidy.
In any event, we shall strenuously oppose the
granting Of any further subsidy to foreign steam
! ship lines, and in this course we are satisfied that
| we shall have the support of the community at
large. The payment by this government of any
such subsidy is inconsistent, while we have so
many calls for internal improvements at home; it
is unnecessary, for it's amount is insignificant to
the Company, and our trade pays them very
handsomely without it and 1t is a bad precedent
for any other steamship line that may be propos-
ed-as witness the much-talked of "a Chinese
Merchants 5. 5. Company which is now grave
Iy asking for a like subsidy with that which we
have been paying to the p. NJ. Company.
The fiscal year closes on the 3lst instant; the
payment of subsidy under the appropriation bill
Of1S7S will Geese from that date, and, report says,
all other concessions to the boats will also lapse,
so that the steamers will be required to pay har-
Dor dues. Wharfage, water ETC., like other foreign
ships. But as these privileges are guaranteed by
treaty stipulatiOns, there can be no change in that
matter.