The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-08-20
RE SOLU T|ONS
FOR FREE
SHIPS

CFrom saturdays Advertiser.)

(F'rom Saturdays Advertlser.)
The necessity of securing action on
the part of the authorities at Wash
ington in the way of relieving the Ter
ritory of the present onerous provisions
of the coastwise shipping laws was
discussed at the meeting of the direc-
tors of the Merchants Association
yesterday afternoon, and committee.
10 consist of the president and secre-
Iary, George W. Smith and z. II.
Paris, was authorized to draft a reso-
luton and letter to be sent, after en-
dorsement by the association as a
whole, 10 President Roosevelt and Sec
Rotary of Commerce and Labor Straus
In bringing up the matter the pres
ideut stated that it had been init
mated by the Secretary during his
visit here that such resolutions COM
ing from the commercial bodies of the
Territory would have great weight
with him and with the President in
securing the waving of the law until
such time as the shipping under the
American flag could handle the situa-
ton. In the discussion which followed
il was suggested that the request
should be for the law to be abrogated
in its application to these islands for
a stated length of time, not just at the
discretion of the President, as in the
event of a change of administration
or from some other Unforeseen cause
the abrogation might be itself abro-
gated at a moments notice, when the
object of the privilege asked for might
not yet be accomplished. 1t was
thought, and it seemed to be the sense
of the meeting, that the request should
be made for a three years period, by
which time il was thought that the
volume of traffic. both in freight and
passengers, that would be worked up
by free shipping would be an object
lesson to the American shipowners and
stir them into activity into providing
the accommodations to handle the traf-
fic and secure the reapplication of the
coastwise law.
The question of securing quarters in
the Commercial Club for directors and
quarterly meetings was brought up, E.
A. McInerny and Robert Cation being
appointed a committee to try and ar
range to. have the meetings held in
the club rooms.
Appointments of two of the mem
bers q represent the association on the
Promotion Committee were made, F. L.
Waldron being named to succeed HIM
self and Captain A. L. Soule to sue
coed a. Gartley.
NJ Phillips wanted to know if the
association wished to go on record in
the matter of the proposed drydock for
Pearl Harbor an impression seeming
10 prevail among some of the Naval
Station officials that there We're in Ho-
nolulu some people opposed to the
placing of such dock at Pearl Harbor
IN preference to Honolulu. For himself
he had heard no one voicing any OPP
position to having the drydock at Pearl
Harbor and he thought that nearly
everyone agreed that the Honolulu
harbor was not big enough to accom-
modate one AS the matter had come
10 his attention, however, he thought
that something should be done to stop
the report that Honolulu had any such
knockers.
The other directors present agreed
with him that there was not the slight
est opposition among the business men
10 the location of the drydock at
Pearl Harbor. If there was any such
opposition it must be among private
individuals, although none had heard
any. expressed. It was thought best,
however. not to take the matter up at
present.