The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-12-14
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.--O sCeps
4Hd simultaneously
.bove his haa5 heading the Herald pub
flsned an editorial article yesterday
which we were surprised to see in that pa
per. Unless when its columns are thrown
open to outside contributors it is in the
main fair. But yesterday it was inten-
tionally unfair, misstating both the law
and the facts to make a point against
Colonel Spreckels under cover of an at
tack upon the Oceanic Steamship Com
pany. The object upon the face of the
article appears to be to injure a great
commercial enterprise, which has done
more to build up this Kingdom and de-
velop its industries than all other Ha-
wai;an enterprises combined. We say
this is the Ostensible purpose of the
article in question; but it may have
quite different object in view, and one
OF which our contemporary is probably
ignorant. 1t may, for example, be par
and parcel of the spurious Machiavelliar
policy which is fast bringing this little
Kingdom iEto a position of universal con-
tempt, and which in the end will prove
ruinous to its authors.
Now, let US ask, what has the Oceanic
Steamship Company done that it should
be attacked in the virulent and unscru-
pulOus way referred to? Has it refused
to carry the Islands mail, freight or
=:
way with the Government or people of
this Kingdom? Has it omitted to do
anything which it was bound to do by
law, and which it was possible for a
transportation company to do having
regard to the safety of life and cOnserva-
ton of the great property interests at
stake? We answer all these questions,
separately and as a whole, in the mega
tive. 1t has done none of these things.
Then why assail it and charge its man
agement with collision with the Ha-
waiian Government to rob the Treasury?
In whose interests, and at whose insti-
CATION, is this scandalous accusation
promulgated? Whose heifer has our
contemporary ploughed with that he
should publish such falsehoods? We
might answer, but we reserve this for
future developments.
We pass by as unworthy of notice the
sneering allusion to ''the Spreckels in
huence" with the Hawaiian Govern
ment. 1t is as unfair to the Government,
as we shall presently show, as it is to
the Oceanic Company; and we think our
statement of fact should put to the blush
the men who are seeking to build them
selves up by a cowardly attack upon
those who befriended them most, and
upon whose forbearance their position
depends. This is what the Herald"
says:
Apparently the Spreckels influence is
still able to do its pleasure with the Hawa-
iian Government, while the taxpayers of
this country are made TO pay for the game.
The way the trips of the Oceanic Steam
ship Company are timed leads to this
view. 1t is taking a long time for the ser
vice to adapt itself 10 the changed circum-
stances produced by that company en-
gaging to carry the mails between san
Francisco and the Colonies. A year has
elapsed since the regular fOrtnightly ser
vice between here and San Francisco be-
came deranged, so that the excuse that il
was caused by the new venture of the
company has become rusty.
How do the facts run with the forego-
ing charge? The Australian mail con-
tract with the Union Company of New
Zealand went into effect on November
Is, 1885. BY this contract the Union
Company undertook to run their steam
ships to Honolulu, making connection
with the Oceanic Company's vessels
here, giving passengers the option OF
twelve days stay in Honolulu, during
which time they might visit the other
Islands. Ii this arrangement could
have been carried out the country would
have been vastly benefited; but at tn,
last moment the Union Company tele
graphed to San Francisco from New Tea.
land that John Elder & Co. had with
drawn from the arrangement and would
run an opposition line direct from sgd
ney, leaving out New Zealand. The
Union Company was then unable
to carry out the contract, and
appealed to the Oceanic COMPANY
TO help it. At moments notice the
Oceanic Company responded to the
call Of the Union Company, and disturb