The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-18
COLONIES AND
HAWAIIAN TRADE

WELLINGTON, n. H., August IL
In the committee on ways and means
the Colonial Treasurer, the Right Hon.
r. ]. Sedden. made the following state
ment about the Hawaiian-San Francis
co subsidy:
1t will be in the recollection Of mem
bers that the House of Representatives
authorized the Government to extend
the San Francisco service for twelve
months from the LIST day of April, 1900.
on the terms and conditions then OBJ
tanning. The House further empowered
the Government to enter into negotia-
tions for a sixteen or seventeen days
service once every four weeks, and an
alternative service for every two or
three weeks; also STIMULATING that at
least one British-owned vessel should
be employed in either service. The re-
suit of the negotiations was to be sub
mitted TO the House for confirmation
this session, and not to have effect until
approved of by the House. From this
it was clear that members intended that
no contract should be finally completed
without first being authorized by the
House. The position at the present is
that the contracts for the renewal of
the service, which was entered into
in 1888, and expired on March 81 of this
year, has been renewed with the Union
Steamship Company of New Zealand,
until the 31st of March, 1901. The
Oceanic Steamship Company, better
known as the j. ID. Spreckels Company,
has been associated with the u. S. S.
Company in carrying out the contract.
The Oceanic Steamship Company has
now secured from the United States
Government ten years contract for a
service between San Francisco and
Australia. 1t is stated, though not Of
ficially, that the subsidy to be paid is
100000 year. The steamers more than
comply with the conditions laid down
by the House, being Of 5000 tons, and
specially built for the service. Messrs
! Spreckels 81 Co. have offered to perform
a seventeen days service between
Auckland and San Francisco, and a
twenty days service between Sydney
and San Francisco, every three weeks
each way, for the payment of 10000
per annum from Australia and New
Zealand, an essential condition being
clusively by vessels registered in the
United States This being the case,
the offer could not be dealt with, seeing
that il conflicts with q resolution pass
ed by the House, which provided that
at least one British owned steamer
should be employed in the service. Fur
Their complications exist, inasmuch as
Honolulu being now a port of the Unit
ed States, vessels trading there are sub
ject to the provisions of the American
Maritime law, which prohibits the con-
veyance of passengers or cargo to ports
of the United States except in vessels
owned or registered in that country. Al
the present time the net cost in carry
| ing our mails by weight is about ell
| 600 year. L understand that the Aus
tralian governments have not yet
agreed to accept the terms offered by
| the Oceanic Steamship Company What
proportion of the X 900 per annun
asked by the company was to be pai6
by this colony was not defined. What
the position will be, owing to the dis
inclination of the Australian govern.
ments to agree to the terms, 1 cannot
forecast; but it is quite clear that
favorable as this colony is to the FRS
co service, it would be too great a lux.
ury to pay for if it were to cost us mucI
more than we are paying at the presen
| time. AS no definite action has beer
taken by the Australian government,
in reference to the proposals of tn,
Oceanic Steamship Company, the mat
rounded with difficulty; and, owing t,
the conditions stipulated by the Ameri
can Government, the resolution of TIL
House passed last session cannot b.
complied with. Later on, when tn
governments are in d position to bette
define the situation, proposals will b
4 submitted by my colleague, the Post
master General, to meet such circum
] stances as may arise. The papers an,
correspondence in respect to the matte
I Will be laid before vo1,