The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-11-01

wv There will be a question of Ha-
w waian shipping before the COM
ing session of Congress, but II is stili
a question as to whether or not the
same success attends the effort to Sc
cure documents as did in the Organic
Act, when several shiUs which had been
purchased for the Matson line and 9TH
ers were admitted despite protests OF
some Pacit, Coast owners. The case
this time wtl lie more p u.idi in that
the vessel which has be ~ y. acticalJ'
refused documents is one built in Ho-
nolulu. but from imported parts.
The matter was brought before the
Treasury Department by Secretary
Cooper of the Territory of Hawaii. at
tie instance of the firm of II. Hackfeld
N Co., one of the pioneer importing
firms of Honolulu. which firm has con-
structed the vessel. According to the
statement in the letter which brought
mp the matter the vessel is steam
scOw, OF 200 tons burden. built for the
purpose of handling freights about the
barber of Honolulu. The statement of
the firm is that the little vessel was
built from structural iron imported
from Germany under an order given to
the German agents of the firm, Phuger
Il CO.. February 18th, 1900, before the
passage of the Organic Act, and the APP
plication of the customs ald shipping
laws of the United States to the Ter
ritory. This fact is pleaded by the firm
in its appeal for the dorumentins of
the little ship.
Ii is set forth by the firm that the
iron used in the vessel was purchased
at cost of S130l5.27, and that upon its
arrival the customs duties collected up
ON the importation amounted to
81, $751; 20. The firm then goes on to state
that the ship was actually built by the
Honolulu Iron Works ara that the cost
of this part of the operation, tbs fac:
that the wages goes INTO the pockets
of American workingmsn being noted.
is placed at 1000. making the returns
To the government and American work
men and business men more than half
the entire cost Of the vessel.
1t is upon this showing that the claim
for the documenting of the scow is ask
ed and the Treasury Department made
a critical examination of the case be-
fore rendering a decision. The building
of this scow comes under section six of
the customs regulations of the Unitea
States, where 1t provided that vessel
huilt of materials imported into the
Tniteu States wholly or in part shall be
refused documents. While there was
no thought of dealing harshly with the
Honolulu house II was de"ided by the
department that no power vested in the
Secretary to set aside the law in the
case and that the only remedy lay in
the action of Congress. This means
that there must be offered to Congress
bill providing that the flag shall be
given to the vessel, and II must take its
regular course in the matter of consid-
Grafton. which is likely to be short, as
this session is the long one which means
that much small work will be done first
and the great appropriation bills left
for the end of the session.
A species of relief was given to the
Honolulu firm however which was made
in the nature of u great concession in
view of the newneSs of the country and
the fact that the material was ordered
long before the application of the GUS
toms laws. The Collector of Customs
has been notified that the vessel may
be used for the purposes for which it
was built, for such time as necessary
for Congress to take the matter under
consideration and to procure action.
The superstition is that IL Congress shall
fail to act, the ship will have to be
shipped out of the country for use.