The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-09-20
l21ttIDs' SUBSIDY
| lid K COLONIES.
Australasia Still Bitter
at the Loss Of Ha-
waits Trade.
WANTS alsTuRE LAWS lEpEllEp.
ANXIOUS ron OCEANIC CON-
PANY's suPxRIoR sKRvIc1
UNWILLING TO PAY.
Sore About the Goana, Too, and
the Vancouver Line ssCannot Be
Tolerated for . Moment
The Alternative.


is very sore spot and the more it il
rubbed the sorer il gets, apparently
The Colonies hate to give up the excel
lent service which the Oceanic Com.
pany is giving them, and yet they doa'i
want to pay for it unless Uncle Sau
shall abandon lifelong principle anl
let them share IN the coastwise trade OF
America.
On this subject the Auckland Stal
says:
The consideration Of the renewal Of
the San Francisco mail service is seri-
ously complicated by the necessary so
luton OF new and difficult problem.
Steamers every three weeks. entirely
surprising those now running q month
~ service, are promised, and the in
crease OF our New Zealand subsidy from
: $4,000 to 100000 is not an over ex-
tortionate demand for the extra IA
cilities offered. But-and IN this pos
sibility will be found a serious stun
bling biock-the new contract would
exclude the one New Zealand owned
steamer which has, in conjunction win
two Of the Oceanic Company's fleei,
line up to the present has never paid
very handsomely, and that the New
Zealand company, which has, in its as
ISOLATION with American owners, ax-
perienced the lean years, should De
squeezed out when the fat years appear
TO be dawning, Is not In accordance
with the fitness Of things. 1t would De
wrong 10 assume that the American
proprietary is entirely to blame. The
chief trouble IS to be found in the ultra
protective nature OF United states ship
ping laws. An example OF this was al
forded on the last trip of the Moana.
The final IornaiitieS with regard to
the annexation OF Hawaii having bern
completed, these Islands, as part Of the
union, came under Its code Of laws.
that passengers and freight between
ports of the union can only be carried
by American vessels. Now that Ha-
wall has been incorporated in the Unit
ed States, steamer lying the British
tag can neither convey anything from
the Islands To America nor vice versa.
This law, arbitrary at any time, cannot
Well remain ON the statute books now
that the country has launched into an
imperialist policy. Its early abroga-
ton may be looked for But there is
another law, equally serious in its
bearing on the present question, and
one which is. unfortunately, not likely
to be tempered with. at any rate by the
Mckinley government. 1t provides that
government subsidies shall be paid only
to American owned vessels. Now, the
United States has entered into-a con-
tract under which the Oceanic Con-
pany receives $4,000 per annum fo-
the Australasian service; but the sub
vention provides for American owned
vessels. Further, one OF the stipulA-
lions of the contract IL that the steam
ers are to be constructed with particu-
lar reference to prompt and economical
conversion into auxiliary and naval
cruisers" and they are likewise to DO
of sufficient strength and stability to
carry and sustain the working and OPP
erations Of at least four breech-loading
guns Of q calibre not less than inches.
and to be of the highest rating Known
to maritime cruisers" Shortly put, we
are asked to give up any New Zealan1
share in the service. double the subsidy
and practically contribute towards the
maintenance Of American semi-war
ships Hostilities between the two
great English-speaking nations are a
very remote contingency indeed, but
is it expedient that New Zealand tax
payers should help to maintain vessels
which. in the event Of rupture o:
friendly relations, could be used to our
very serious disadvantage.
The problem Is indeed knotty one.
The position OF the American company
is that Of absolute independence. The
service is Of great ralue TO New Zealand
and under the new conditions the bene-
fits derivable would be materially en-
HANGED The Inauguration Of oppo-
silion, apart from the question OF the
states subsidy. is. owing to the cr-
striction Of American laws entirely out
of the question. A Vancouver service
as q substitute cannot for Q momens be
tolerated Il was tried and proved q
ssiiure entirely fnflin9 To conn