The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-02-10
GABLE AND STEAMERS
what Colonel Ashford Snys About
tho Attorney Generals Trip
Abroad

hSuiot' INV hoSSil III ''it i'"'', VII
matters bearing on Treaty" inter
ests, our reporter called on his
brother. Col. V. V. Ashford, after
the arrival Of the Australia, TO see
IL anything authoritative could be
learned in regard to the much talked
Of Canadian Pacific Cable, and the
CANADA Australia line of steamers
to connect with the Canadian Pacific
Railway at Victoria. In answer to
questions Col. Ashford said:
Yes, it is true my brother has in
terested himself very much in the
matter of cable and fast steam COM
munication between Honolulu, Nicto-
ria--and San Francisco, too, for
that matter; but the trouble with
San Francisco seems thus far to
he $50 far as the public are inform
cd) a matter of gobbling up "fran-
chises," such as ny their terms will
practically exclude all others from
bona fide attempt to build line,
except at the expense Of an cnor-
nous bonus for their franchise.
In his private capacity (becausc,
so far as l know, he had no author
ity to act for the Government) he
has spent considerable time, and ]
believe with the best effect, in con-
vincing British Canadisn capitalists
and representative men. that the
scheme of cable is not only feast
bic but desirable to them. Such
men as Sir John Macdonald pre-
mier Of the Dominion), Sir Hector
Langevin( Minister of Public Works.,
Sir Charles Upper Lord High Com
missioner for Canada to the Court of
st. James), Sanford Fleming, and
the magnates of the Canadian Pa
cillc Railway have cvinced not only
the greatest interest in the matter,
but determined disposition to do
something more than mere talk
something which will result in teie-
graphic communication between here
and the Coast in less than two years
but always provided the Hawaiian
Government do not in the meantime
put a gag on competition by giving
practically exclusive franchises to
other parties. His previous per-
sonal acquaintance with many of
these gentlemen gave him an advan-
tagc which was not Offset by the fact
of his not being officially commits
stoned in any way so far as concern
ed apreliminary entering of the ca.
bic wedge.
So also with the Canadian Pacific
Railway and Steamship lines. Mr..
Van Horne, the President of that
great railway, who is probably the
most energetic, aggressive and with
out question the most successful
railway manager ever yet produced,
assured my brother that in case OF
harbor accommodations being salts
factory, that company would in the
near future put on regular line of
steamers of such speed rs to place
all such of our fruit products as
would stand ten days careful trans
portation, into the hands of consum-
ers in st. Paul, Minneapolis, Winni.
peg, and all centres of population
west Of those points, and north OF
Chicago and Milwaukee, the tenth
day after leaving Honolulu. This
will indefinitely increase the markets
Of our fruit growers, and greatly
assist in building up Honolulu as n
collecting and distributing centre
for through lines of commerce.
AS to what is said about the
treaty, there's nothing in the re-
ports. This government cannot dis
cuss the matter while the presen,
one is in force. But is it not vel
to have the leading public men OF
Canada familiar with that phase of
our condition which would incline
them in favor of treaty relations five
years hence, in case the United
States then shut us out? Or, what
is practically the same to US, il they
reduce or abrogate their sugar tariff
as they sooner or later certainly
will? No doubt my brother has used
all facts and fair arguments which
would be to the advantage of la
wall in such contingency. It's {
case, now, of eggs all in one basket.
Our present connections are GER
tainly the best; but Canada has
nearly six millions of people, and by
the time the present treaty expires,
she will have eight millions moro
than four times the present popula
ton of the entire Pacific Slope Of
the United States. And the propo
sition which some advance, that i
will "estrange" the United States
by looking about to see II we car
maintain ourselves elsewhere in case
of the sugar duties being lnopera'
tive five hears hence, is a contention
unfit for even any student in po'
litics.
What have said to you may o.
may not include all of public inter
est; but it is practically all know
in that direction from my brother
private information to me. Ont
thing you may be sure of: he hasn'
"talked treaty." as some of thu
American papers would have us be
lieve-except IN way to &c eiv'
and impart such information n
MIGHT raault in hena(it IN Hawaii il