The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-26
IMPORTANCE OF ONE DAY.
VESSELS COMING FROM FOREIGN
PORTS.
A Difference OF Day in Arriving Here
Means Thousands of Dollars Differ
ence in Tariff.

A large fleet of vessels is on the ocean
en- route to Hawaiian ports and, in view
of the settlement of the territorial bill
questions, whether many of them make
quick or slow passages to here will
make a difference of many thousand
dollars. to the local consignees. 1t is
all a matter of whether the vessels get
here before or after the new laws go
into effect. Assuming that the bill
makes fairly rapid progress after leav-
ing the conference committee at Wash
ington, the new laws should be in eff
feet by June 10. A coal ship arriving
from Newcastle on June would escape
the American tariff, while a vessel ar
riving here with Newcastle coal the
next day will have to pay siXty-seven
cents a ton. This is a matter of about
a thousand dollars on an average car
go, and two thousand dollars on a large
ships cargo. The same rules apply to
vessels that are on the way from Eu-
rope with general cargoes. 1t behooves
the captains of these vessels to lose
no time in getting here, as a days de-
lay may cost their consignees many
thousands of dollars-unless the cargo
contains stuff more highly assessed here
than in the United States.
With vessels from San Francisco and
other American ports the position is re-
Versed. Hawaiian tariff is being col
lected now, but after the date on which
the laws go into effect there will be
no tariff at all. At present the list of
vessels on the way from San Francisco
is quite small. All of them will almost
certainly get here before the new tariff
tariff laws apply, and it will cost them
good sum in proportion to the value
of their freights. From the present
date it is likely that no more cargoes
will be started from American ports,
to reach here before the application OF
American laws to Hawaii Is complete.
| This may mean a little lull in the
freight business, though there are a
good many sorts of freight that come In
free.
From Europe there are seven vessels
on the way; at least three of which
should arrive before the new tariff ap-
plies. The German bark Solide, 107
days out from Hamburg, and the Brit
ish ships Harlech Castle and M. F..
Watson, each cover a hundred days
out from Liverpool, are almost certain
to enter under Hawaiian tariff. The
| German ship Hera, from Hamburg, is
! likely to show up just about the time
of the change in the laws, though with
! a favorable passage she might get in
ahead of the date of change. The bark
| Wallace B. Flint, from New York
might also get in ahead of the applica-
tion of American laws, If she had very
| good luck in the passage, but it would
! be poor luck for the owners of the
cargo. She is 63 days out. The sailing
dates of three other vessels from New
York and of the rest of those coming
| from European ports, are not known
| here
The Newcastle fleet on the way is the
! largest coming from any one place, as
| 1t has been for some months. Between
! fifty and sixty vessels are en- route to
Honolulu and other Island ports from
Newcastle, with coal that comes in free
| now, and will be subject to a duty of
! 67 cents ton. after the new laws go
into effect 1t will be a close race for
some of them to get in in time to save
the duty. Seven of them have coal for
! the army, which is not subject to duty.
| The navy has no coal coming, having
enough here, so that all the rest of the
! vessels are for private parties.
The sailing dates of many of the New
castle fleet are not known, but there
are some which, making an average
| trip, Will come in to the harbor about
June 10, which is the date on which the
change might occur. 1t might pay the
consignees of some of these vessels to
send steamers out to look for the yes
sells and bring them in If they can be
sighted near port to save the 67 cents
a ton on the coal. The captain who
arrives on the day after the new laws
are applied, will not feel very cheerful
over his record for the voyage.
There is no way to get news to the
vessels afioat informing their masters
of what they might make by coming
quickly or slowly. 1t is simply a gam
BILE on the winds and waves, involving
very large sums of money. The captains
do not even know that it makes any
unusual difference whether they get
here on the first of June or the first
of July, and they are simply sailing
their ships in the regular way piling
up the best records they can anyhow,
as captains always do. 1t would pay
some Of them to reef sail and go slow
ly and it is lucky for them II they are
dlscOntentedly lying becalmed.