The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-13

been awarded by the Fire Claims Com
mission to the various claimants and that
the said claimants will cheerfully bear a
considerable portion of their direct losses
as well as the whole of their indirect
losses. for which no claim whatever has
been mace or allowed.
5. That it is an undoubted fact that the
business of the community has suffered
severely and is still suffering from the
non-payment of these claims, and if some
are not paid within a reasonable time,
many of these claimants who practically
lost all their substance in these sanitary
fires, will be forced into bankruptcy,
/ 6. We respectfully suggest that your
/ honorable body examine with the
records of the Board of Health, which
controlled the welfare of the port and
city during the epidemic of the bubonic
plague, as also the records of the pro-
ceedings of the Fire Claims Commission
ers, and we believe these records will
fully satisfy your honorable body that no
wanton or unnecessary waste of property
was permitted, and that the whole pur-
pose of the sanitary fires was the eradi-
cation of the bubonic plague
Z. The inability of the Territorial gov
ernmeht to meet the payment of these
claims has been rendered evident by
statements now and heretofore made to
i We would therefore urge the appropria-
ton by Congress of sufficient amount to
cover the awards made by the Fire
Claims Commission.
We wish to bear testimony to the eff
cient work done during the past two
years by the United States Marine Hos
pital Service, and we would respectfully
urge your recommendation of such appro-
priations as will provide for the extern
sion and further equipment of the Quar-
antine Station in Honolulu.
| We respectfully suggest that the cost
of maintaining and improving the cond-
ton of our harbors be borne by the
| Federal Treasury, and the burden of
maintenance and improvements necessary
| to meet the changing conditions, result
! ing from the ever increasing tonnage of
vessels built, is too heavy for this COM
munity to bear when deprived of the
revenue from the customs receipts.
We beg respectfully to emphasize the
fact that the benefits from the execution
of public work of this character are more
of a national than local value More
American shipping tonnage puts in at
Island ports than at any other ports of
the world, outside of those of the Main
land. 1t is highly desirable for the foster
ing of United States shipping that our
harbors be deepened and continually kept
clear of mountain silt, so that ships of
and to a wharf in safety Shipping inter
ests between the Orient, Australian Colo
MES and Western American ports will
be greatly furthered by having safe deep
harbors and good wharf accommodations
at Hilo and Honolulu.
To provide for the larger class of YES
sells, both of the merchant marine and
navy, which are now coming into use
on the Pacific, it is a matter of great
Importance that channels should be deep
ened and harbors enlarged to admit of
safe entrance and speedy handling of car
go and fuel.
The necessity is apparent for better
provision for offices for the various de-
partments of the Federal Government
not adequately provided for prompt
handling of the business which comes to
them. Other departments are using rooms
in buildings which are needed for the
use of the Territorial government, and it
would seen to be for the best interests
of all that a Federal building should be
erected without loss of time, where Fed
eral offices and courts could be establish
ed and the rooms in the buildings which
were formerly used by the Territory
given up again for such use.
The existence of two sets of silver
coins is an anomaly which may cause
much trouble if for any reason or with
out any SOOQ reason, the
the "Kalakaua" dollar comes about. 1t
is intrinsically of the same value as the
United States dollar, so that the cost of
retiring it would but slightly exceed that
of recoinage, a cost so small in COMPARE
son to the advantages to be derived, that
we trust Congress will take the necessary
steps to insure the passage of the bill re-
Gently before it for that purpose.
We heartily indorse the statements
made before VOt1r HO00rah HE COrorDjSSinp
by the Secretary of the Territory as to
the necessity of having the island coasts
: properly lighted.
The Merchants Association would urge
r that the Port of Honolulu ian American
: porD be the mid-ocean stopping place OF
the transport service between Manila and
San Francisco.
/ The Merchants Association would urge
2 upon the Federal Government the advis-
5 ability of offering tenders to the loca
merchants for supplies for the depart
ments of the Army and Navy, stationed
, at Honolulu, and, other things being
' equal, to award the contracts TO local bid
= ders.
e Coffee, one of the minor industries Of
} Hawaii has suffered of late years chiefly
e from the increased supply of the South
e American product In any future read
.justment of the tariff, we would bespeaE
I your consideration for Hawaiian coffee
e In conclusion, we would respectfully
n submit that the withdrawal of the Gus
: toms receipts from the Territory is re
n sponsible, to a very great extent, for th,
t existing financial stringency. Figure!
g have been presented to you in the me
mortal from the Builders and Traders Elk
e change and it is unnecessary for us to re
; peat them. In view of this large contri
= button to .he Federal revenue II woul,
; seem to US that the cost of such improve