The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-04-19
Los ANGELES
AND STEAMSHIPS
Southern CaIifOrnians Want
to Connect With
Honolulu.

The Los Angeles Record gives this
encouraging report of the proposed
steamer line between San Pedro and
| this city.
| A million dollar passenger and freight
steamship line between San Pedro and
Honolulu is the latest and most impor-
| tant development of the recent Los
Angeles Chamber of Commerce excur-
| sion to Hawaii.
| All that is needed to assure the es-
| tablishment of the new line is the
earnest support and cooperation of the
| merchants and business men of Los
Angeles and Southern California.
The news that a line is to be estab-
lished to Honolulu is gratifying to the
citizens of Los Angeles and vicinity
and clearly shows that the business
men Of Los Angeles, who are interest
ed in the venture, are alive to the sit
uation and recognize the benefits and
possibilities of such an undertaking.
Rufus II. Heron, the oil man, is the
prime mover in the proposed line and
Frank Virgins, secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce, has promised
Mr.. Heron all the aid and assistance
that the chamber can give.
The commerce in 1906 between Ha-
wall and the Pacific coast tota1ed $12,-
900, 900, of which vast sum Los Angeles
received practically nothing, San Fran
cisco and Seattle reaping most of the
benefits.
Local steamship men state that 400
passengers monthly leave Seattle and
San Francisco for Honolulu. Hundreds
who go to Honolulu are compelled to
make the extra trip to San Francisco.
A steamship line between Honolulu
and San Pedro has been talked of
many times before, according to local
steamship men, but for one reason or
another the proposition always fell
through.
Not only are the capitalists interest
ed in the scheme considering the es-
adjustment of a steamship line, but 1T
is also their intention to build a large
sugar refinery in Los Angeles. Hun
dreds of pounds of sugar were brought
over on the Ohio, but it has all been
shipped to San Francisco to be refined.
Honolulu capitalists pledged Mr..
Heron $250,000 as their share in the
new concern and Mr.. Heron recently
eceived word from several prominent
eastern financiers telling him to go
ahead with the venture.
Mr.. Heron says: Il see no reason
why first-class steamship line be-
tween San Pedro and Honolulu would
not be an excellent thing, not only
for Los Angeles, but for the promoters.
am devoting considerable of my time
to the proposition and have received
numerous offers of assistance from
local capitalists.
II believe that the erection Of a SUI
gar refinery in Los Angeles would also
be a good thing if the new line is es-
tablished aRwh
Honolulu and Hawaii in general are
very prosperous at the present time
and as the island has unlimited re-
sources, the freight traffic alone on a
line between San Pedro and Honolulu
would more than pay.
Seattle and San Francisco get all the
trade now, but if our line is establish
ed we will get the share which is just
ly due u.s.
Officials prominent in local steamship |
circles are somewhat skepticaI when it |
comes to considering the new line as a |
certainty and several said, Tuesday, |
that unless Mr.. Heron and his asso- |
ciates in the enterprise had the back |
ing of the railroads Of the country it |
would be a difficult proposition to car
ry through successfully.
F. Schaefer, of the Independent |
Steamship Co. said, Tuesday: 81 would
be glad to see the thing go through,
but it has been tried before and has
fizzled, because the promoters could
not secure the support of Hartman
and the other railroad kings. The
steamship game is one gigantic trust,
as it now stands, and unless they have
plenty Of capital back of them the
other lines will crush them if they do