The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-09
mo RELIEF
IN SIGHT.
Merchants Meet to
Discuss Freight
Rates.
WANT PROTECTION
FOR MERCHANDISE
See Island Trade Slipping From
Their Grasp Saturdays Meet
ing Largely Attended.

discussion at Saturdays meeting OF the
Merchants Association held in the Ha-
waiian Trust Co.'S offices. The meet
ling was unusually well attended, anu
for over two hours the merchants pres
lent engaged in a spirited discussion Oh
the increase in freight rates, but at ths
conclusion agreed that there was no
nrospect of relief shown in the report
of the committee, appointed to inter-
view the heads of the steamship COM
NAMES. A new committee was then a.
nointed to secure relief from another
evil namely the present expense anu
wearisone delays in loading and M
loading freights from island steamers
land it was decided to ask that the
wbarves be covered and warehouses
built for the better accommodation OF
shippers.
II had been intended also to take up
the matter of an appeal in the income
tax case. and discuss the ACCESSIBILITY OF
linter-fsland cable communication upon
the completion of the proposed Pacific
lcable. but owing to the prolonged discus
sion of the shipping report this was
lpostponed until some later date. The
next meeting will probably be held
within ten days. as the new committee
lappointed is to report within that time.
The president, F. w. Macfarlane, pre-
lsided at Saturdays meeting. and VIM.
w Harris occupied his usual place as
lsecretary Twenty-four members OF the
Organization were present. including
lGeo. w. Smith, ]. A. Kennedy Robert
lCatton, l.. E. Pinkham, ]. F. Hamburg
n 7 King, E. C. Macfarlane, M. A
lGonsalves, E. NJ. McInerny. F. B. Auer-
bach. F. ]. Waldron, ]. F. Soper, f
Church. c. S. Wight, D. Lewis and oth-
ers.
The first matter presented was the
report of F. ]. Lowrie. chairman OF the
committee appointed at a recent meet
ing TO consult with the two inter-island
steamship companies over the recent in
crease in freight tariffs between the
various islands. The committee report
ed having visited the officials Of the
Inter-Island Steamship Co. and the
wiIder's Steamship Company, and that
the firms were more than ready to
meet them half way, and had showed
. every courtesy. The results of the in
terview were not, however. very prom
Using, both companies claiming to have
operated at loss for some time past
One of the companies showed state
ments of a loss up to September 1st OF
about 100000, while the books of both
companies showed they had operating
at a loss. This loss is attributed to the
9 enforcement of the shipping laws Of the
United States in the territory since an
nexation, the new regulations making
necessary various improvements, life
saving apparatus machinery, etc. One
instance shown was the carrying of
from three to four hundred Japanese at
a single deck load before annexation
while now the shipping laws will not
permit of a greater number than thirty
or forty in the same vessel The freight
carrying capacity of the island steam
ers is also much reduced in the interest
of life and safety. until now it is only a
question of raising the rates or tying
up the boats. The merchants present
readily admitted the truth of the asser-
lions of the steamship companies, and
could see little help for themselves in
the attitude of the two companies. how
ever much justice there might be in the
lclaims and reasons advanced. The Mer-
! chants Association sees in this ad-
vance of freight rates a prospective loss
of considerable island trade, of which
the Maxwell Plantations move is only
a forerunner. 1t may mean in the enc
that many of the plantations will make
shipments to and from the coast direct
secure a port of entry, and have mer-
chandise shipped directly to them, anc
load the merchandise vessels with sugar
in return. The only salvation the mer-
chants see in the efforts of the planta
tons to secure direct shipments. is the
few ports on the other islands where {
safe landing can be made. There Is
some talk also of the plantations or
, Kauai or the other islands joining theii
railroad lines. agreeing upon some por
OF delivery. building wharf there. ant
landing all their merchandise in tina
way.
This first matter disposed of, tn
meeting then took up the question o
better shipping facilities for the mer
chants at this end Of the line The ont