The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-01-14

The silver question still stares the coun-
try in the face, and still nothing has been
done 10 remedy the evil We heard a
while ago that the Government were ma
turing a plan, but it has taken so long to
mature that we are afraid their egg Is ad
died. The Chamber of Commerce we i'm
agine. Is unwilling on the other hand. to
put down the nominal value of our silver
coin, to its real value. because it Is a strong
step, and one which might be readily mis-
represented by the Government apologists.
The negotiations which have been carried
on have really been to keep the coin to its
standard value: that can only be done by
having a very limited quantity here A
competent authority, who has given much
study to the question and knows it in its
practical bearings, considers that S4OO.-
900 of silver Is all that Is needed for pur-
poses of circulation. Upon that view then
we have no less than SG00.000 too much.
II is all very well to complain that the
gold law is at the bottom of the trouble
but that Is complaining very much after
the fashion of the sufferer from the gout.
who having brought on his disease by high
living, blames the medicine he takes as
the cause of all his discomfort. The Ha
walian nation has been gorged with silver.
and very naturally it has to pay the pen
atty. Without thought for the future the
Minister of Foreign Affairs greedily Dor
rowed Sl.WO.OW in silver coin. We know
perfectly well what was the result until
the gold law medicine was taken: OK
change ran up TO eight and a half per
cent and there was still an upward ten
deney: directly the gold law came into op-
GRAFTON down went exchange TO a reason
able price. Unless steps are taken. ex-
change Will go up again. for as long as we
have so much silver III the country, it is
bound to drive ont the valuable coin.
Every weeks delay brings us nearer to
disaster. 1t is the old story Of the stitch
in time. Had the Cabinet really done
their duty on December 1st, all the trouble
which has lately come upon us might have
been avoided: the friction caused bv the
change of standard would have been made
as small as possible. They did not do
their duty; hence the present unpleasant
position of financial affairs. The whole
blame rests only in one spot, and that is
with the Cabinet. When the laboring
man and the mechanic find that their dol
lar has only purchasing power of eighty
cents, they will thoroughly understand
how great wrong has been done them.
The Eads ship railway. seems by latest
accounts to be taking really practical
form An article in the Scicatjfc l,uertoaa
explains the intended methods and sweeps
away many of the absurd notions which
have passed current relative 10 the pro
lect. Ii is argued that though a ship rail
way is novel and startling piece of en-
glneering enterprise. it demands no other
methods in the treatment of ship than
those usually employed in the dry dock
and the marine railway.
The essence of the project is this: "A
ship Is lifted out of the water bv means of
a submerged pontoon similar 10 those in
use all over the world: but no such force
as that used in hauling a ship up out of
the water on marine railway is required
on the ship railway" We have seen here
many ships taken out of the water. and in
the case of the Sue only part out of the
water and we know il Is perfectly safe.
But IN the Eads system the ship is lifted
IN cradle which rests upon a series of
rails, these are brought even with the
tracks upon the land; the cradle runs Us a
car and carries the vessel easily across.
The thing is combination of lifting dock
and marine railway, and an improvement
upon the latter, as it is claimed. because
the ship Is never as in the latter. required
TO be of an even keel" The simplicity of
the project certainly recommends it. The
whole length of the line is 134 miles il is
almost straight but where turns are re-
quired to be made, floating trrn-table
will be used, these turn tables resembling
the pontoons in general use
The ship carriage Will move on three
tracks, SO that it will be easy TO have three
locomotives in front and three in rear
were 1t found to be necessary. A big
freight engine has no difficulty in drawing
freight train OF 1000 tons weight. three
such engines could drag 6,0OO tons and
SIX. 1900 tons. The time estimated for
crossing from ocean TO ocean is estimated
at only sixteen hours.
The cost Of the railway is estimated to
be about S60,000,000, and at the very out
side $75,0O0OOO
IL is estimated that III 1888 il would not
be unreasonable to expect gruss tonnage
OF 5.OOOOOO tons for passage across the 18th
mus: at four dollars ton, very moderate
charge, the income would be S20.OOO.OO0.
OF which 40 per cent would be required for
working expenses. leaving SI20OO. GOO as
the net profit. 1t is easy TO put down fig
ures, but ii must be remembered that these
are the calculations of experienced men.
who know what they are about and have
a vast amount of information at their com
mand
That Eads' ship railway should be re
garded by men unaccHstomed 10 deep
research, as visionary thing, one can
quite well understand. The ignorant al
ways laugh at what they do not under