The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-07-15
Steamship Subsidies.

From the Daily Pacific Commercial AdceItiserJ
THE House yesterday passed the item
in the Appropriation Bill, Subsidy
to ocean. steamship Iines,'' which, in
accordance with the recommendation of
the committee to which it was referred, was
passed at the amount proposed by the
Government, $50, 600. The Government
are not tied down to any particular COM
pany in making use of the means thus
placed at their disposal for subsidies, but
we may assume that the other recommend-
ations made by the committee will be ac-
cepted as a guide in his matter. Among
these was one that the through line from
San Francisco to New Zealand and Aus
tralia should continue to receive the sup
port of the Government. We ave hailed
with the greatest delight the establishment
of a new line, feeling sure that there has for
some time past been ample trade to sup
port a regular line of steamers in addition
to that which the enterprise of the colonies
has enabled us to enjoy. But we are not
disposed, as some are, to say that the old
line has no claim on US, and is of but small
value. Every business man knows what
advantage has been reaped from having
these steamers regularly calling here. The
communication with the colonies is also
worth something to us. The trade in that
direction may be small, but Il considerable
proportion of the tourists who spend their
money on the Islands come from that direc-
ton, and these and others are induced to
visit us because of the facility of doing so
whilst en- route to other countries. That
these steamers spend no money here is also
not true. TIL two American boats coal
here regularly, and they all take supplies
from here, and would take more than they
do if there were sufficient ENTERPRISE in the
country to provide the necessaries of life at
moderate prices. If the Oceanic IS. Com
pany's new line proves to be all that we
hope Of it, that company will probably be
entitled to a larger subsi ly than the Mail
line, but that is no reason why we should
wholly cut off the payment we have been
accustomed to make to a line that has been
of vital importance to our commercial in
terest and a great advantage to passenge. s.
Taking this view we nevertheless cOrdi-
ally agree with the committee of the LegiS-
lature, that we shOuld have in return for
the subsidy something more definite ana
certain in the way of accommodation to
the public. The stipulation that the
steamers should spend at least six hours of
daylight in the port is one that ought
always to have been insisted upon. As
we understand it, it is the fault not of
the company but of former Ministries that
such a stipulation, which formed part of
the original contract with the PM. SIS.
Company, has not been maintained in
force all the time. Ministers, though con-
tinuing to give the subsidy, declined to
enter into a new contract when the first
eXnire1 Intending apDarpOtIV TO drOD fbp
subsidy altogether on short notice. AS the
Government would not be bound they
could not bind the steamers, and the latter
have come in and gone out as they liked
not, however, without a certain amount Of
voluntary regard for the convenience of
business men and passengers. The com
munity has suffered in consequence of this
fad of some Minister, and it is high time
that the old arrangem .nts were reinforced.
This the committee recommended and the
House approved, and we understand that
the company will be quite ready to agree
TO it.