The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-12-10
NO RELIEF
IN SIGHT.
Merchants Meet to
Discuss Freight
Rates.

Inter-island freight rates and better
shipping facilities were the Subjects of
discussion at Saturdays NEE ing of the
Merchants Association held IN The Ha-
waiian Trust Co.'S offices. The meet
ing was unusually well attended, and
for over two hours the merchants pres
ent engaged in q spirited discussion OF
the increase in freight rates bu. at the
conclusion agreed that there was no
prospect of relief shown in the report
of the committee, appointed to inter
view the heads of the steamship COM
panies A new committee was then al
pointed to secure relief from another
evil, namely the present expense anu
wearisome delays in loading and M
loading freights from island steamers,
and it was decided to ask that the
wharves be covered and warehouses
built for the better accommodation or
shippers.
1t had been intended also to take up
the matter of an appeal in the income
tax case, and discuss the ACCESSIBILITY Of
inter-island cable communication upon
the completion of the proposed PACING
cable, but owing to the prolonged discus
sion of the shipping report. this was
postponed until some later date. The
next meeting will probably be held
within ten days, as the new committee
appointed is to report within that time.
The president, +. w. Macfarlane, pre-
sided at Saturdays meeting. and VIM.
w. Harris occupied his usual place as
secretary. Twenty-four members of the
organization were present, including
Geo. w Smith, j. A. Kennedy. Robert
Cation, L. L. Pinkham, j. f. Hamburg.
a lnfn ytl
Gonsalves, E. NJ. McInerny. F. b. Auer-
bach. f. j. waldron, ]. f. Soper, F..
Church. c. S. Wight u. Lewis and 9th
ers
The first matter presented was the
report of f. j. 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
Wilder'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 loss UP to September LIST OF
about 100000, while the books of both
companies showed they had operating
at a loss This loss is attributed to the
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
90
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
question of raising the rates or tying
up the boats. The merchants present
readily admitted the truth of the asser-
tons 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
claims and reasons advanced, The Mer-
chants Association sees In this ad-
vance of freight rates prospective loss
Of considerable island trade, of which
the Makaweli Plantations move is only
a forerunner. 1t may mean in the end
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, and
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 a
safe landing can be made. There is
some talk also of the plantations on
Kauai or the other islands joining their
railroad lines, agreeing upon some port
of delivery, building a wharf there, and
landing all their merchandise in that
way.
This first matter disposed of. the
meeting then took up the question of
better shipping facilities for the mer-
chants at this end of the line. The one
great need Is provision for taking care
of merchandise while waiting to load or
unload the island steamers. Under the
present arrangement drays are kept
waiting for hours. Oftentimas, much to
the detrment of the merchandise ana at
an added expense to the merchants 1t
was finally decided to appoint COM
mittee to look into this matter, and
Geo. w. Smith was appointed chairman
of the said committee which is to re-
port within ten days The committee
will visit not only the heads of the
steamship companies but also the gov
ernment authorities, with a view to Sc
curing some protection for their mer-
chandise. The Merchants Association
desires the construction of roofs over
the present wharves and also the cree
ton Of warehouses; where goods NAV