Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-07-16
SECRETARY CORTHYOU|S
Told CONDITIONS HERE


At the meeting Of the Merchants As.
ISOLATION held yesterday afternoon the
following letter to Secretary Cortelyou
was read:
Honolulu. Territory of Hawaii,
June 3, 1904.
To the Honorable the Secretary of
Commerce and Labor, Bureau OF
Navigation, Washington, ID. G.
Through f. X. Stackable. Esq, Collect.
or OF Customs. Honolulu. T. II.
Sir:-The undersigned by direction
of the Merchants Association of Homo
lulu. Territory of Hawaii, and In It's be.
half. desire to respectfully present for
your consideration the present serious
congestion of passenger accommoda
lions for travel between this Territory
and the mainland of the United States.
and to petition that such relief be
granted as may be admissible under
the statute governing passenger traffic
between ports of the United States In
and during periods of emergency.
Under Section 2, Act of February II,
1898, being an Act to amend the laws
relating to navigation" which was put
into effect In this Territory on June H.
1900. there Is statutory penalty OF
$4,000 1.-TWO Hundred Dollars) for
each passenger transported and land.
ed between ports or places In the Unit
ed States in foreign vessels. The en-
forcement Of this statute. by reason OF
conditions below mentioned, Is causing
serious loss and damage to this Terri.
tory and Its citizens.
II is submitted that. with the excep.
ton of one vessel. the Alameda, of the
Oceanic line. plying between Honolulu
and San Francisco. all passenger trav.
ell between Honolulu and Pacific Coast
( ports Is of necessity carried by steam.
ships running through to points In Chi
ma and Japan. or TO the Australian Col
onies. no reservation being made for
Honolulu passengers beyond what may
/ be available on arrival here en- route to
the terminal ports.
| For some time past these vessels
have been so crowded with through
passengers that It has been almost i'm
possible to obtain passage no matter
how urgent the occasion.
| In view Of anticipated additional
through travel to and from the st.
Louis Exposition during the coming
months, covering period In which 10
cal travel between Honolulu and San
Francisco is always largely increased.
II is submitted that these conditions of
congestion are certain to be augmented
With the result OF serious consequences
to the people of this Territory, both
from sanitary and financial stand
points. There are few individuals. or
invalids. whose immediate departure
Ia x1hA NJ
ford to deposit. or who can by any
means deposit, the sum of 100000 in
addition to theG fare, in order to go on
a foreign vessel, and without this de.
post 1t is now impossible for the large
majority of Honolulu passengers to
leave for mainland points at a given or
within a reasonable period of time. It
is needless to assert that in most cases
such a penalty is entirely prohibitive.
Heavy loss also accrues to the mer-
chants and retail dealers of this Ter.
ritory from the fact that intending
tourists will not stop over as soon as
they learn that no opportunity Of pro.
ceeding on their journey Is guaran.
teed, particularly as all steamers that
J are able to carry passengers without
penalty are booked several months
. ahead.
Wherefore, while this Association
does not, and cannot ask. that the pro.
! visions Of the above section Of the
, statute be permanently waived or sus
! pended in any of its requirements, we
do most respectfully ask and petition
, that the peculiar conditions arising
from our isolated situation, and the
, consequent difficulties OF travel, be