The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1889-09-10
A STEAM LINE TO TAHITI.

n O1LhM A1NC 4O 1hh111.
Reliable information has reached
Honolulu to the effect that the
French government will receive
tenders for steamship line, to con
meet Tahiti with Honolulu or Samoa
not later than November Is, 1889, al
Paris.
The distance from Honolulu tc
Tahiti is 1880 miles; while from
Tahiti to Samoa the distance is only
about 600 miles. The advantage OF
less distance is thus clearly on the
side of Samoa, and yet the CONNER
cial advantage to France or to its
colony of Tahiti, would be at least
ten times as great by way of Homo
lulu. At Samoa the connection
with the only through steamers that
touch there is of the poorest kind, as
the vessels of the Oceanic line do
not enter any Samoan harbor, but
remain out at sea until a small boat
comes from shore to deliver and
receive mails and passengers; nor
can this state of matters be rene
died, as the harbors and their facili-
ties are very inadequate and must
continue to remain so for years.
Viewing the matter in this light,
the French government would natur
ally prefer that Tahiti should be
connected with Honolulu by steam;
and the only thing that will prevent
its accomplishment may be the
amount of subsidy required.
So far as Honolulu is concerned
in this new feeder to the Oceanic
line, the desirability of having the
Tahiti steamers make Honolulu
their terminus is very obvious, as
valuable trade would doubtless be
the outcome. In addition to
large cattle and merchandise trade,
the fact that Tahiti is to be made a
more important station for French
naval ships than it has heretofore
been, indicates that large naval
supplies will be required for them.
The Hawaiian government look
very favorably on this project of
connecting Tahiti with Honolulu by
a monthly steam line, and will
probably ask the legislature to pro-
vide a subsidy to assist in its estab-
lishment. Not only will it tend to
open trade with Pepeete, but with
the entire Society, Marquesan and
Paumotu groups, all of which re-
celve their supplies through Pc
peete. 1t will thus be seen that the
project promises to be one of great
benefit to this group, and to the car
rying and passenger trade of the
Oceanic steamship line. In short, it
would attract to Honolulu a consid
cradle trade which does not come
here; and this will be greatly in
creased when the ocean cable con-
Meeting US with San Francisco, the
United States and Europe, is COM
pleted.
The tenders, as advertised for in
San Francisco, call for: 1st. The |
amount of subsidy required; I'd. |
The tonnage of steamers to be en-
ployed in the service; Sd. The rates
of passage to be charged officials of |
the French government, and the |
rate per ton of freight; 4th. The |
amount of security to be given for |
the proper fulflment of the con-
tract.
The subsidy granted by the
French government will entitle the |
said government to the free trans
portation of all mail matter deliv-
cred by the Postoffice or transmitted |
to it on all the line from San Fran
cisco to Pepeete, Tahiti, and vice
versa. Tenders sent to Paris should |
be addressed to the Under Secretary
of State of the Colonial Department,
2 Rue Royale. These tenders have
until the 18th of November next to
be sent in; put at that date the time
closes.