The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-14
HAWAIIAN FIGHT AGAINST
THE SHIPPING BILL
Smith and Alexander Opposed by Harold sewaIl.
Opposition to Electric Franchise
Withdrawn.
(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)

(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)
WASHINGTON, D. C.. Feb. 2s.-The
Philippine Shipping bill has been earn
estly opposed here, from the Hawaiian
standpoint, during the last four or Eve
days. Hon. w. Q. Smith, of Honolulu,
who took the matter up soon after ar
irving in Washington, as stated in a
previous letter. was REINFORCED early
last week by the arrival of Mr.. w. NJ.
Alexander, of the firm of Alexander &
Baldwin, of San Francisco ana Homo
lulu. They have had consultations
anew with Secretary of War Taft and
have had hearings before the Senate
Committee on the Philippines and also
before the House Committee on Mer-
chant Marine and Fisheries. The hear
ings before the latter committee occu-
pied two days, Friday and Saturday.
The subject was gone into very thor
oughly. The friends OF the Frye-Little-
field bill, which requires all the car
and the Philippines to be in American
bottoms, have compiled several tables
and gathered other statistics, calculat-
ed to further their side of the case. As
Mr.. Alexander was very familiar with
all the details of shipping on the Fa-
cific he proved a valuable ally to Mr..
Smith. Together they have been abfe
to strongly support Secretary Taft in
his contentious against the bill.
And right at this point it might be
said that suggestions of a compromise
have been thrown out to the supporters
of the Frye-Littiefeld bill. These are
Taft, who is enthusiastically for free
trade with the Philippines. He has
it in years gone by and |
has strong hopes that Congress IN the |
course of a year or two win enact a |
free trade bill. The supporters of the !
bin have been given to |
that as soon as such a free |
trade law with the Philippines can be
enacted no objections Will come from !
the War Department to restricting the |
trade with the Philippines 20
American vessels. There are some Iea-
sons for believing that this suggestion
will go far towards defeating the pend
ng bill at this session of Congress and !
hat the present law, affecting the car
'ying trade to the islands. may be con-
inued for couple of years. AS con-
litions are it is claimed there must be
egislation of some kind at this ses-
ion.
sEWALLs OPPOSED HAWAIIANs.
The Sewalls, of Bath, connected with
he big shipbuilding firm there, have
,een in Washington during the hear
ngs. One of them was Hon. Harold
;ewall, formerly Minister to Hawaii.
rhe Sewalls made a determined attack !
N the Hawaiians in urging the COM
nittees of Congress to pass the pend
ng BILL They declared that the Ha-
vaiians were in reality fighting freer
rade with the Philippines for the pur-
,ose of preventing sugar from the Phil
ppines coming into competition with
he sugar from Hawaii.
Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Alexander for
IDLY repelled that kind of an argument.
hey told the House Committee that
he argument advanced by the Sewalls
ras both Irrelevant and inpertinent at
his time. When the question of re-
moving all tariff on products from the
comes up, added these gen.
Iernen from Hawaii, it is one to be
net by the beet sugar interests and to-
,aceo growers of the States.
Regarding the question of freight
ates from Hawaii, as affected by the
Philippine bill. some very important
acts were presented Supporters of the