The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-08-28

vious speaker, as bananas were
grown mostly bypoo p, oplc. lie
moved the previous question, which
carried.
The amendment for 1000 was
lost.
Rep. Thurston moved 10 inscit
the words "bi-montIly" us in last
periods Till. If these words were
not in, u steamer might bc des-
patched on the first and another the
next day of The month, and the SUBJ
sidy be collected.
Minister Gibson suggested the
term, "semi-monthly," as BIZ
monthly meant once in two months.
Rep. Thurston said he took the
term from the old law.
Minister Gibson said it was mis-
take, then. According to that, there
should be no complaint about the
service that had been given.
Rep. Thurston asked, in reply,
why the subsidy was paid for two
trips month when only one trip in
two months was required by the act.
He accepted the amendment, which
was passed.
Rep. Keau moved an amendment
to the second section, that not more
than fifty cents bunch be charged
for carrying bananas.
Rep. Hayselden was opposed to
the amendment. Sixty thousand
punches had been exported last year,
of which probably $4,000 were car
ried by these steamers. This amend
ment would reduce the subsidy really
10 less than 81 900 round trip, as
the difference amounted to $4,000
a year. The steamers did not pay
anyway, and for the next few
months would have to run with
scarcely any freight.
Rep. Thurston contended that
bananas were carried on parts of the
vessel that could not be protitably
utilized for other freight. Again,
the Pacific Mail boats carried ba-
nanas for fifty cents a bunch.
The banana business had grown to
become the third product on our
list of exports, following only sugar
and rice. 1t was the same expert
ence that the California fruit-growers
had with freight charges Oh the
overland railroads. The truit-growers
found their business improbable
and many were going out of it, till
last year an arrangement had been
made, as the result of agitation,
whereby rates on fruits were lowered
and immense quantities had been
forwarded to the East at profit.
He thought that the Oceanic Steam
ship Company would make more
money at 80 cents than ut 75 cents,
and the 20 cents would make all the
difference between profit and loss.
Noble Cleghorn could not under
stand the opposition to a reduction
in the freight on bananas. 1t seemed
to him that they were legislating al
together with reference to the rich,
and paying no attention to the in
terests of the small farmer or pro-
ducer. Fifty cents bunch was
equal to about SIS ton, while
sugar was carried for So ton.
Bananas were carried on the upper
deck where nothing else, partcu-
larly other perishable goods, could
be carried. Persons in the business
had told him that they got very
small returns from their fruit. The
business was one peculiarly in the
hands of poor people, mostly native
Hawaiians. Apples were carried
from New York to Liverpool for 40
cents barrel.
Rep. Hayselden objected to the
amendment, not because he was
against the proposition itself, but
he did not want to see the service
discontinued. The inter-island
freight on wool was proportionately
higher, as he knew of it being
charged as nigh as $40 ton from
here to Lahaina.
Rep. ThurstOn told of one shipper
of bananas who only cleared S1.5C
on hundred lunches, and of another
who was out S5.S5 on a similar ship
ment.
Minister Creighton said it was {
very unwise policy for the house te
attempt to regulate freight charges
by transportation companies by law
If the freight were fixed by law fo
bananas, it should also be fixed OF
sugar and all other articles of ex
port. If that were done, the resul
would be to drive the steamship line
off the trade. He did not kno,
whether SO cents per bunch wa
enough, but in his judgment com
petition alone would regulate sue
charges. 1t had been stated tina
when there was competition betwee
steamship lines from this port to th
Coast the freight was so cents pc
bunch; when competition ceased
the natural result followed, tina
freight was advanced to a payin
rate. But the figure did not affect til
principle, which held good whethe
the amount was so cents or 75 cents
He did not think there was any nee
in referring this question to a con