The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-05-10
tFrom Saturdays Advertiser)

| of lower steamer fares ana althouSh
there were loud and long denunciations
of existing conditions. no remedy which
was considered practicable was propos-
ed at the meeting. The entire question
was finally left to the board OF directors
who will report some plan OF action at
future meeting. A multitude Of reme-
dies was proposed: from the placing of
steamer on the run by the Merchants
Association to asking Congress TO re-
peal the shipping laws so as to permit
passengers to travel on foreign steam
ers between Honolulu and San Fran
cisco. None of the suggestions met
with unanimous favor. although the
sentiment was unanimous enough that
the people of the islands were not been
treated right by the steamship COM
panles now doing business here.
There was a gathering of twenty-five
representative merchants at the meet
ing IN the Young building and the
majority of them expressed their opin-
ions on what has become TO the tourist
work the most important question.
WANTS LOWER RATES.
Oswald Lutted, of the New England
Bakery, first broached the matter of
steamship rates when the meeting was
about to close. He said that the ques-
| ton of cheap passenger fares had been
ventilated and spoken of for years, and
now in the depressed condition of busi-
ness it was time to do something. I'VE
| have to have cut rates to induce people
to come here" said Mr.. Lutted. THE
fleet was here for ten or twelve days
and the merchants did thousands OF
dollars worth of business. and cheap
rates will always keep floating pop
ulation of 5000 or 1000 in the islands
| If the steamship companies nov In
business here won't make the cut rates,
| then we should induce others 10 come
here, offering inducements in the way
of freights, etc. If the merchants JOIN
issues and pull together to encourage
some other company to come here we
will succeed. The rates now are too
high, sl35 for the round trip, when you
can go from New York to the West
Indies and back, which Is third longer,
for $50. The second class rate from Ho-
nolulu to Vancouver is only $45 and
they will give you railway transporta-
tion in addition. The difference be-
tween first and second class accom-
modations is not very much and lower
first class rate could easily be made.
A reduction of thirty or even teA dol
lars would be a great thing for the
city"
PRESIDENT FAVORS IDEA.
"Mr Lutted's remarks are very much
to the point" said President Smith.
There is no question but what tourists
are deferred from coming here by the
high rates"
PROMOTION COMMITTEES WORK.
THE Promotion Committee has taken
up this very matter with each of the
steamship companies said j. a. Gil
man, of that committee. Both com
panies absolutely refused to consider
any reduction in rates, and say that II
is not practicable. They claim that al
the present rate they are not paying
expenses. Commissions and other
5 charges make the total the steamship
companies receive something over fifty
dollars, fifty-four or fifty-five dollars,
, think, which they claim, is the actual
. cost
I'VE have tried to get a reduction nj
least a dozen times, but have always
met with the same result. Perhaps the
Merchants Association may succeed II
na''''''e'' ms '''e''' -, Wv
AGENTS GET The DIR hNr-'>' Il
What do you mean by commits
sions?' asked Mr. smith lhe com
missions paid to agents."
' 'il.ia', 80 tha staans1in an,
, anu ooi'',i,'ss'"' ms :, " '''e
5 ra,,rola r,, @ lines, loss an aoo, t,clet q
, n.'' l''e''ns :, n,'' anrans' ;. snoyesr
'men's y. t',a. s"e,.,'
, eu 'he pres.,e'l,, l,,,oroas su,nos
u.''''l ,|e .',,,', ,,,,,t H., liam
ed for not cutting rates as they ar
e carrying all the passengers they wan
t now without competitions" said f. W
s Waldron. "The only way to get then
c to cut it is to bring In new INES D
d Offering freights, or else by the Mer
= chants Association putting on a steam
e er and running it, believe W. eoul
n run steamer batk ana lollh ana pa