The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-24
THE DAILY PACIFIC
SUssC RIPTIONs
SHORT. SIGHTED POLICY.
Esan Francisco Merchant, April 10th. ]

loan HEAiiclSCO MeICuAiLt apEu IOGH.l
The continuation OF the Australian line
of steam service with America has been
assured by the passage of the subsidy bill
20 the Pacific Mail Company. This in
itself is of the greatest importance to Cali
fOrnia, and more especially to San Fran
cisco, with which port the greater part of
the trade with the Colonies exists. We re-
ceive but few goods from Australia in re-
turn for the full freights forwarded every
month, but we do receive a certain proper
ton of tine passenger traffic between the
Colonies and their Mother Country. This
traffic is by no means inconsiderable, as
most of the travellers, on their arrival here,
are determined to see as much of the Won
derful sights and scenery of America as
their time will permit.
In these days of excessive competition it
would seem only natural that every oppor-
tunity should be utilized for securing addi-
tional business. This, however, does not
appear to be the policy of the Pacific Mail
Company. The p. and o. and Orient
Line of steamers, trading between England
and the Colonies, offer unusual induce
ments to travellers in low passage money,
frequent ports of call with permission to
clay over, ;" for a month or longer, without
extra charge. Travellers by these routes
can call at Melbourne, Adelaide, the Cape,
or India, Alden, Suez, Malta and Italy with
full g lay-over" permits
But what inducements are offered by
the only other line the P. NJ. S. S. Co.,
that completes for the Australian passenger
traffic Practically nothing. Their
steamers call at Auckland for few hours
and touch at Honolulu for an equally brief
period passing on to San Francisco with
barely sufficient time to deliver and re-
ceive the mails visit to the Hawaiian
Islands is eagerly and anxiously anticipated
by every traveller on this route. Unfor-
tunately he has but few hours to pass in
Honolulu. He is unable to &c lay over -
for week or even fortnight. A month,
In the case of nine persons out of ten,
would be too long a time to wait. Yet he
must remain q month or lose the oppor-
tunity so close to his hand of seeing one of
the prettiest group of Islands III the Pacific
and of visiting the most active volcano in
the world.
Why does this state of affairs exist
Simply because the Pacific Mail Company
has hitherto been unwilling to cooperate or
act in harmony with the Oceanic Steam
ship Company. The steamers of the former
line leave the Islands once month, those
of the latter twice a month. If an arrange
ment could be affected between the two
companies for the mutual transport of pas
sengers to and from the Islands, the result
would be increased passenger traffic for both
lines of steamers and decided and marked
improvement in the passenger traffic on this
coast, which would benefit hotels, railways
and storekeepers. The Oceanic Steamship
Company is willing to enter into an arrange
ment whereby this business can be in
creased to the advantage of California and
the States generally. This company is
willing to pro-rate on Through business
TO England as well as on local passenger
traffic. The narrow-minded and short
sighted policy of the Pacific Mail monopo-
lists however, is opposed to any such agree
ment, though the agents of the company in
Honolulu are willing, and even anxious, to
make some such agreement, knowing full
we'll that it will be mutually beneficial.
The advantages and attractions offered
bv the European lines of steamers are
prominently placed before travellers to and
from Australia, but as regards the advant-
ages and pleasures to b derived from a
trip through America, they hear nothing.
No steps are taken to place before them the
prospects and possibilities of a visit to the
volcano of Kilauea, with only week or
ten days delay. They learn nothing, eX-
cept casually, of the wealth, climate, re-
sources or beautiful scenery of California.
But little is really known in the Colonies Of
the facilities offered in crossing the Contin-
ent, facilities for travelling that are I'M
equaled in any other part of the world.
Everything in fact acts against an increase
in the passenger traffic which might be
largely augmented, instead of its showing
the continued decrease manifest for the
past year or more. In this respect the
European and English owners of steam
ships have proved that they are ahead of
the Americans, and we are only surprised
that the owners of the steamers Zealandia
and Australia have not had the foresight to
insist upon offering every facility to travel
ers which the Pacific Mail Company seems
unwilling to offer. When others are will
ing to cooperate it seems narrow minded
selfish policy on the one side to refuse to
Join in what must be beneficial not only to
travellers and to themselves, but also indi-
rectly to the whole of the United States.