Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-03-13
.IOpROMOTt COMMERCE


United States mas awakened great in
terest in other countries and espeCial.
ly in the mother country, where our
active but friendly rivalry in the.
worlds markets is subject Of much
attention, and the appointment Of a
| Minister of Commerce for the United
kingdom is being urged. The London
! Chamber Of Commerce Journal, the
Oihcial organ of the London Chamber
of Commerce. in recent issue says:
I'm this country the opinion was for
long held that the best way to assist
trade was to leave it severely alone
and to rely upon the foresight, skill
and energy Of our merchants and man
ufaCturers to maintain our pre.cminent
position in the worlds markets. Lat
ItCrly, however. there has been ten.
dcnCy to direct the attention of Par.
! lament more and more to commercial
matters It Is unQuestionable that the
idea is rapidly gaining in strength that
in many directions considerably more
attention and assistance might be CIV
en- by the state to extending trade
than is at present accorded. In say
ing this, the fact is not overlooked that
Of recent years commercial questions
have received increasing attention
from the Government, but the feeling
is rapidly growing in intensity that
what is really wanted is that they
should he entrusted to a Minister with
| full Cabin rank. who must himself be
a business man. and whose sole duty
shall be to watch over. foster and sup
port the vast trading and industrial in
terests OF the country. We are now
at a period of tense rivalry in trade;
our merchants and manufacturers are
face to face with the keencst compett'
ton that has ever been known; and
that competition Is daily developing. Is
It not remarkable. in view Of the mag
nitude of the interests involved. that
the United KingdOm-the greatest
manufacturing and commercial nation
in the wOrld--has not in the Cabinet
Minister OF Commerce? In the United
States, which may be looked upon as
our most formidable competitor, and
whose people are kccnly alive to the
necessities of modern commerce, the
need for such a Minister has already
been fully recognized. Surely Great
Britain cannot AFFORD to lag behind. 1t
rests with the business men Of this
country to present a united front in
this matter and to make their wishes
known, through their commercial or
EanizatiOns. in such manner as to
command the support of the Govern
ment and the nation. That the con.
viCtiOn of the need Tor this appoint
ment is steadily gaining ground ap
pears to be undOubtcd. Several Cham.
bcrs of Commerce have already eX-.
Iprcssed themselves in unmistakable
terms in favor of the proposal, while
the London and Halifax Chambers
have decided to move resolutions in
support thereof at the annual meet.
ing of the Associated Chambers to he
hcld in London next March. Thus will
be afforded an opportunity of obtain.
ing a definite prOnOunCcmcnt of the
views of the general body Of CONNER.
which cannot fail to materially infu-
encc the end in view.
Those who ask for the appointment
of Minister of Commerce do not do
. so in any spirit of complaint or ami
mostly against the Board of Trade, but
because they believe that the interests
of the country would be best served by
h,, ngtsa l.li lnY, ,A1,t ..f hn Iart m
istry. There Is no inclination to dis
parage the good work performed by tho
department. which has rendered great
services to commerce Few people are
aware of the varied duties entrusted to
the care Of the Board of Trade: but, II
mention is made of some OF the most
important, such as the regulation and
control of shipping, fisheries and har'
bOrs, labor and arbitration in labor dis
putes, the safeguarding of the public
interest in regard to railways, the con-
, duct of bankruptcy laws, the collec.
ton and dissemination of particulars
, as TO tariff alterations and other com
mercial information. some idea will b6
gained of the magnitude of the inter
tStS WIN WHICH u NtdlS' Anu YET lH'
department which has charge of al
these important commercial matters II
not on an equality with other Govern
= ment departments lime the Home Onic'
and the Foreign Office, its head only re
Ceiving a remuneration amounting Il
! about two-fifths of that of principa
e Secretary of State. What is wanted
] for Commerce is a Department which
, shall be In position to give its undi
= vided attention to the furtherance o
commercial interests only, SO that thu
distinction between a Board of Trade
= as now existing and a Ministry o
, Commerce, as proposed, is not a mer'
. matter of words, but constitutes a vita
y, difference in principle"
So Many People are Exposed to rain
nplJ on1 ctprmg that II 10 nprpSSar ~