The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-12-04
THE SOUTH PACIFIC TRADE.
An Effort Will be Made to Have Con-
gress Permit American Registry
to the Australian Mail Liners.

gress Permit American Registry
to the Australian Mail Liners.
New YORK, Nov. 25.-There will be
a strong movement in Congress this
winter to apply the free ship feature
OF the Act which admitted the Paris
and New York to American registry
to the mail line between San Fran
cisco, California aud Australia,
touching at Honolulu, Apia aud
Auckland, New Zealand, with its
Australian terminal at Sydney, N.
5. w. The prominence which will
be given to both Hawaiian and Sa-
moan affairs will aid this movement,
and 1t is understood that prominent
members of the Administration are
warmly in favor of extending tue
principle OF free registry where Am
erican commerce and ship. building
will he most benefited.
j. II. Witheford, a prominent citi-
zen of Auckland, has been in Wash
ington during the last week discuss
ing the subject OF the AustIa allan
mail service and carrying trade with
prominent members of the Admins.
tration.
"For twenty. five years. said he,
"Australia has aided the American
line running between Sydney and
San Francisco. This aid originally
| amounted to A5O,OOO a year, but
owing to American Indifference IL
has dwindled to $780, 600 a year. The
two steamers Of the Oceanic line are
both out of date, making only
twelve knots an hour, taking nearly
. month to make the trip.
HOW TRADE HAS FALLEN OFF.
twenty-five years ago there were
three American flags flying on this
line; now there are only two. The
United States had In 1881 81 percent
Of the carrying trade Of New Ia
land. Now II only has % percent.
France, Belgium and Germany have
Government. aided lines, and Japan
has important and growing com
merce with Us. The French now
talk Of extending their service to
San Francisco.
The commerce OF New Zealand
has doubled every ten years since
1871. The Australian trade amounts
To SiO0,CJO,OOO. We ship wool aud
kauri gum, from which varnisb is
made, to the United States and i'm.
port locomotives, mining machinery,
canned goods and agricultural ma
chinery from the United States.
This commerce would increase with
leaps and bounds II a fast mail SER
vice, making eighteen to twenty
knots an hour, could be rs, ablished.
More than that, Samoa and the
Hawaiian Islands lie directly in the
path Of our communication, and all
Australia Is eager to stand shoulder
To shoulder with the United States
in defense OF these islands, with the
watchword, No interl"p.rs.' w.
relieve the Samoan treaty could
have been negotiated To better Eject
in Auckland than in Berlin, l2,WO
miles from all knowledge or sym.
patty with native Gust oms aud ideas.
Think OF the absurdity Of putting
good old Malietoa ON the throne
and then expecting him /, get his
personal revenue by poll tax, the
most unpopular Of taxes, and nj the
same time ret ain his popularity. His
physician sent in bill Of 500 for
mendiDg the broken heads Of his
tax collectors.
| AMERICAN INfLrENcE ~ TUE PACIFIC,
american influence must be main
tained ID the Pacific. II will be
much batter maintained ia Samoa
by having y linc steamer sal ia there
every week hearing the American
flag aud making business good with
the natives than with a whole fleet
Of war vessels. The latter merely
overawe the natives. The former
would win their warm friendship.
"The graduated land tax is n great
success in New Zealand. II is the
single tax on land values in its prac-
tical operation and works to
charm. We would not go back TO
the old plan OF taxation for any
thing. II has made business boom
with us and immigration il pouring
in at the rate OF 5OO to 1000 week,
not merely from Australia and
Europe, but even from the United
States. We have about the same
area as Great Britain, a milder eli
mate, fertile soil, splendid iron, coal
and timber and can support a popu-
lation OF 30,OOO,OOO"
| a