The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-03-06
CANNOT TRAVEL STEERAGE
WOULD-BE PASSENGERS KEPT
HERE.
The Laws Distinction Between Steer
age and Cabin Travelers-Quarantin
Rules of the United States.

About ninety-one signatures have
been secured to the following petition
and protest, which is to be presented
to the agents of the Oceanic Steamship
Company. I'VE, the undersigned, being
citizens of the United States, having
arrived in Honolulu within the lase
months, view with surprise and mucn
solicitation, the action of the Oceanic
Steamship Company in holding out TO
us allurements in the way of literature
and thereby inducing us to come 10
Honolulu at steerage rates, and now
when we are disappointed and desire
to return home, we are informed that
we cannot return by steerage. We con-
slider such course as unfair, and as
taking advantage of our necessities,
and do now importune that we be per-
mitted to return at the same rates as
we came, after making a deposit for a
possible quarantine at San Francisco.
In addition to this statement, an
argument in regard to the matter has
been prepared. In this it is stated tnat
when they get to the steamship compa-
ny's office to book they deposit $40
and are then given a card to the phys
| ician of the Marine Hospital service.
at the American consulate, ana are Civ
en- bill of health. But when this is
presented at the company's office and
steerage passage asked for they are
told that the company is not taking
steerage passengers, and this works a
great hardship on those who are made
the victims of this course.
w. M. Clifford of the Oceanic Steam
ship Company, this morning stated that
| his company was willing to take any
| steerage passengers that complied with
! the necessary rules. The United States
quarantine laws make distinction be-
! tween steerage and cabin passengers,
and Mr.. Clifford stated that he did not
| think that the cOmDany would be tusti-
| fed in running the risk of increasing
the quarantine of the Austria and her
| passengers for the sake of taking steer
| age travellers. THE laws of the United
! States make the distinction, and not
| the steamship company" said Mr.. Gif-
! ford. I'VE have nothing to say in the
matter, nor have the local quarantine
officers. Persons who underwent a
| quarantine that would satisfy the quar-
antine officers of their fitness to go as
steerage passengers would be taken on
| our steamers. The law was made in
| consideration of a different class of
| steerage from those who travel here,
but that does not alter the fact that
it applies, and we have nothing to say
in the matter" Mr.. Clifford stated that
the petition had not been seen by him.
Dr.. Carmichael, federal quarantine
officer, stated that 1t would be neces-
sary for anyone who wanted to go as
a steerage passengers to be under guard
in absolute quarantine for fifteen days.
"All passengers ought to do this" said
the doctor, but for steerage people the
law requires it. Cabin passengers are
allowed to travel, by the United STATES
law, in the way we are now allowing
1t, but steerage are not The law WAS
made, probably, for the immigrant class
on Atlantic steamers, but it applies
here just the same"