The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1906-07-21

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On her first direct voyage from Port
land 10 Honolulu, the first trip which
is to establish permanent Portland
Honolulu run. the Matson steamship
Hilonian arrived in port yesterday and
Gocked at the Oceanic wharf
The departure of the vessel was
made gala event and a large number
of business men We're aboard at a
luncheon given by the captain. The
Portland business. men are interested
in the new run as they have gone seri-
ousIy into the business of establishing
trade relations with Honolulu.
The Portland Oresonian of July II
gives the following account of the
Hilonian's departure:
That Portland business men have
commenced to take notice of the es-
tablishment of a line of steamers be-
tween Portland and Hawaii was evi-
denced at noon yesterday, when a num-
Der of prominent local merchants as
sembled at Columbia Dock No. /. and
accepted the hospitality of Agent NJ.
NJ. J. Lindsey and Captain Peter John
son, on board the Hilonian.
The Hilonian left last evening for the
Islands with hardly as large a cargo
as her owners desired, but considering
that this is the first attempt the opera
tors express themselves as confident
that Portland will eventually rise to
the emergency and produce enough
freight to make the venture a profit
able one for shipowner and merchant
At the luncheon on the vessel the
feeling was freely expressed that the
local merchants would come to the
front ndbly and make a strong bid for
the island trade. Several of the guests
present made speeches to this effect,
and their remarks We're received with
the greatest satisfaction by Agent
Lindsey and Captain Johnson.
The principal speaker at the lunch
con was w. A. Mears. secretary of the
Oregon Wholesale Grocers' Association
and North Pacific Coast Jobbers' Asso-
citation who said in part:
THE Islands have for years been ac-
customed to look to San Francisco for
their commodities, which has proved
somewhat of a drawback to the in
auguration of competition on the part
of this city. We have had the Islands
in view for several years. and several
propositions have been broached with
a view to landing some of the trade,
but these always fell through on ac-
count of the lack of interest or be
cause there was no available craft to
transport the wares to the Islands.
COMPANY MEANS BUSINESS.
''Mr Lindsey, the local agent of the
Matson Navigation Company has
shown US that his company means
business, for whenever a firm sends
a vessel of the Hilonian type to port
it means that they are anxious to i'm
press the merchants and shippers with
the possibilities of their company and
we readily realize that this vessel can
not be operated on promises.
THE association of which L am sec
retary is to have a meeting next We'd
nesday for the purpose of considering
plans for the systematic canvassing of ,
the Islands for trade with this city. In
all proba bility the association viii send
a delegate to the Islands on the next
trip of the Hilonian. and this party will
be instructed to investigate the condi-
tions thoroughly and report immedi-
ately to the local organization. The
residents of Hawaii do not realize that
most of the furniture. farming imple-
this city by way of San Francisco, and
If this can be impressed upon them it
is certain that they will patronize the
local end of the line
Captain Johnson replied to Mr.. !
Mears, advising the local merchants to (
do their best in the way of presenting
their advantages to the islanders. and |
extended an invitation to the represen- |
latives of the association to make the |
rip on the vessel on the present voy-
age. Owing to the short notice it was |
found inconven:ent to send anyone on
his voyage. The guests assured Cap
ain Johnson and Agent Lindsey that |
IN the next trip one of their members
would be sent to the islands to look
,ver the situation and report the con-
litions.
CAPTAIN JOhNSON' > GUES1S.
Those who We're at the luncheon yes
erday were w. A. Mears, F. A. Spen-
,er. T. Lang, L. Lang. E. Ehrman. s.
:. Kerr. Lloyd J. Wentworth and
Fletcher Linn. Captain Johnson and
Agent Lindsey acted as hosts of the
occasion, and the guests departed with
high praise for the vessels accommo-
Iations and their genial hosts.
The Hilonian sailed at o'clock last
vening and will return about the lat
er part of the month. She carried a
rife over 500 tons of freight from
cortland and about twice that amount
rom San Francisco, but by the next
-isit it is hoped that she will have a
ulI cargo.
Captain Johnson states that the Hilo-
ian brought about 1000 tons of general
argo this trip She will load in about
700 tons of refined sugar at this port
nd 1890 tons of raw sugar at Hilo, be
ides some bananas About half of
he refined sugar will be carried to
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