The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-01-06

THE II. q. tries to make a point
thus: "A few years hence one group
of men will be spoken of as having raised
Honolulu to the position of a great DOCK
YARD Through the completion of the
marine railway, another set as having got
up a coronation" Whereas it happens that
the same parties that are promoting the
coronation, took an influential part in pro-
noting the marine railway and the ship
ping enterprise connected Herewith.
The subject ofmarine railway was brought
forward in the Legislative Assembly
i'm 1880. The special committee, Messrs.
Rhodes, Gibson, and Kaulukou, who called
upon ship carpenters and merchants, re-
ported hat men practically acquainted
with ship building and repairing do not
appear to be favorably impressed with the
project, principally on account of the cost
and difficulty of finding a favorable site"
But the committee taking into considera-
ton the necessity of providing for the re-
pairs of steam vessels now increasing in
number, which have become indispensable
to the community, and which cannot be
hove out like sailing vessels, and for exam
lining and repairing of vessels of any de-
scription that may arrive i'll these waters"
recommended that the sum of 5 lOo,0 600 be
passed by the Assembly for said ship or
railway.
The measure was strongly opposed by
native members, led, on this question, by
Hon. G. w. Pilipo. Hon. G. Rhodes made
an able speech in its behalf, and Mr.. Glib
son spoke on the same subject and as he, n
Premier, is now specially identified with the
coronation, We will give his remarks in full
as then reported on the Marine Railway.
MI Gibson said he supported tho item Of
$4,000 for n marine railway for the port of Homo
lulu. This is probably one of those enterprises of
internal improvement undertaken by Government
which may not, and are not always expected, to
return Il direct remuneration for the outlay but
indirectly they benefit the country by increase Of
facilities for the development of commerce.. But
sufficient to give a small rate of interest on the
outlay. In New York city there are six different
dOcAs or structures for the building or repair of
ships, and, Notwithstanding the competition which
so many enterprises of the same kind give rise to;
the charges are 81 so per ton,or $500 for n thousand
ton ship, first day she Is placed IN dock and this
charge is reduced to one dollar a ton for subse-
quent days. But it was proposed not to make a
higher charge in this port than one dollar per ton
he had been assured by the Minister, and he fully
understood that it was not the purpose of the
Government, in case a marine railway or dock was
provided for, to undertake the building or repair
OF ships, but to let out the structure at a moderate
charge to the ship-carpenters of the country.
Honorable members have said that not enough
ships come to our port to require this enterprise at
this time but he was well assured that many
vessels that were trayersing our ocean in quest of
an opportunity to repair, had TO pass our port. and
or other port provided with proper facilities, be-
cause we were unprovIIed. You must also bear in
mind that time, or dispatch, is often the most i'm
pOrtant question in the repair Of u ship with q
valuable CARGO To heave down may be q mors
economical pl |eS+-~2air a vessel sometimes but
this will reqtSS "a whereas q ship once