The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-05-04
ShipoWners Fail to PatrO.
nize Honolulu People.
So Says Wen Kcown maSter-He Con
tends That There Should Be
Rec rrocity-
Honolulu. May 3rd. 1893

Honolulu. May 3rd. 1893
Editor Pacific Commercial Advertiser.
Dear Sir:-A visitor to this city
seeing the crowded condition Of the
shipping in this port. would very nat
urally conclude that the merchants AMI
traders who are dealers in ships sup
plies and the mechanics who attend to
the repairs and wants OF snpplnS
should be doing a very brisk business
but such is in fact not the case.
The only sail loft here, were 1t not
for the little local business, could not
make enough to pay its rent, ana
blacksmith depending entirely Oh Work
from California vessels would have to
go hungry sometimes. The snip
wrights are only dragging out pre-
carious existence with the help OF all
the local work, and if they depended
entirely on the seagoing vessels they
simply could not exist at all, and as
for the business of furnishing pro-
visions and stores, one very small store
would not have very much trouble IN
supplying the demands of all the yes
sells in the harbor. This is not as II
should be- The vessels in the HOMO
lulu and Pacific Coast trade making, as
most of them are, handsome living
out of that trade, every penny OF when
comes from Honolulu, ought TO be
willing to- do what they can to help
along those who make it possible for
them to enjoy this lucrative trade.
To the objection that the price for
everything is higher than at San Fran
cisco or elsewhere on the Pacific coast,
the answer may be that naturally
enough it is so-the vessel has received
| her freight which, in some instances,
| is much more than the merchants
profit on the same goods-and 1t is not
much wonder if by the time the mer-
chant has the goods in his store the
| costs have run up so that he cannot
afford to sell them at less than % per
cent above San Francisco prIces.\
It is a cold blooded business propo-
sition I know-to buy always in the
cheapest market, and L am told tnat
some of our shipmasters have positive
| orders from their managing owners
| to buy nothing whatever in Honolulu
that they can possibly get along with
| out-and this line of vessels is the best
supported of any that comes to Homo
| lulu.
/ have often heard it said that any
lone who allows Christianity, or char
| ity, or philanthropy, or sympathy, or
sentiment to Interfere with his bust
ness, will surely get left-and from my
observation in my few years wander
ling on this sublunary sphere, l am OF
the opinion that the statement is very
lnearly correct.
| All of the shipowners and shipmast-
ers in this trade have heard Of the
word Reciprocity" Some of them
know what it means. But there are
none of them that act up to the mean
| ing of the word. None at all. 1 main
| tain that it would be nothing more
than what is just and right for all the
vessels that are largely owned here to
| do all they can in the way of business
here-and not draw all their money
out of the country without putting any
| thing back.
| My reason for troubling you with
this letter is that l saw worthy me-
chanfc about the streets this morning
who told me he had nothing to do
and the harbor full OF vessels upon
which he depended for his business.
While everybody and everything
dUOuI S6SuSu lull vi lie anu DuSIueSS,
this man is obliged to remain idle be-
cause the vessels which are sharing in
this business life and prosperity and
having work in his line, prefer to wait
until they get to San Francisco; they
can get it done cheaper there.
Trusting this will wake up some OF
our shipowners and shipmasters, I am
yours very respectfully.
VIM. G. GOODMAN.