The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-08-19

coast wise shipping laws, or are we
to be satisfied with the present way
the steamers are running, seems to be
| the one question that is causing no
end of talk here. 1t seems to me
that it would be much better thing
if the people here in Honolulu would
get together and take some immediate
action. instead of waiting in hopes
that the request that was made the
other day to Secretary Straus would
be granted by Congress. A number of
| people do not seem to realize that if
their wish were granted, and for
| eign steamers were allowed to run
here and take passengers on their
| ships, that the other ships flying the
American flag would not stop here,
and that the number of foreign ships
coming in here would be entirely in
adequate for the business. An official
who is in a position to know what he
is saying told me not long ago that
the lines in business here now, would
take their ships off entirely, as soon
as the law went into effect, and I
think that the people here, like child
with new toy, would very soon get
sick of conditions, and would beg the
proper people in Washington to res
cind the notifications at once. The
| trouble here among the merchants,
planters, and business people in gen.
eral is that they don't know what they
do want. AS Secretary Straus says
there ought to be more harmony,
and some definite thing decided upon,
and not so many pros an cons on the
questions of vital interest to the COM
munity in general" With the amount
of money in the Territory of Hawaii
it seems to me that it would be a
good thing to start steamer line
of our own here, and in that way have
| the sort of service we want, and be
in a position to know what can be
done l have been away for three
years from the Territory but in that
time l have talked over a number of
affairs with people in Washington who
know our needs, and they are all of
the same mind as 1 am and that is
get down to facts, and not continue
to soar in the clouds above, and be
just as far from having what is want
ed as the state of affairs are here now
| Any number of good ships with Al
passenger accommodations, and good
sea worthy ships can be bought at a
very fair figure in. the East, and if
the business people would guarantee
to give them a fair amount of freight,
and assure people on the coast
that they could get back when
they wanted to, half the battle would
be won, but no, the person or persons
who have had the figures in regards
to just this main and important mat
ter, have been asleep and have let
valuable chances go by. What is need
ed, is perfect harmony and some ener-
gy in this matter, and the sooner the
better. What is needed, is to allow
some of the good wide awake young
men to take charge of this matter
and push it to finish, as 1t seems by
results that the older men have al
lowed the matter to lie dormant, and
thus the ends that were hoped to be
accomplished, are as far apart as the
earth from the sun. In very few
years if results so far are going
to count for anything, the Panama
canal will be finished, and this city
and the islands in general will be
greatly benefited by the number of
ships that will monthly be here, and
the money that will be spent by pas
sengers coming ashore. We are an.
J xious for Straus to help us, by hay
ing the laws changed so that we can
travel ON foreign ships, why don't we
help ourselves instead, when it is in
our power. 1t is not too late yet, but
it strikes me that conditions will not
be changed unless we help ourselves.
Any one who knows anything about
the feeling in Congress knows very
we'll that it will be very hard fight
before they will consider allowing for
eign ships to carry passengers be-
tween two U. S. ports, and that a
number of congressman will say with
all the wealth in the Hawaiian Islands
why do they not help themselves. This
Is the truth and the cold hard truth,
and the sooner that we sit up and
look at the matter in the true light
the better it will be for every one
concerned. What 1 am anxious to brin
before the public is one true fact
which is just this: We ought to
help ourselves, and get a company
formed to start line of ships from
here to the coast, and to run them
ourselves and not wait in the hopes
that we will get the aid we want from
Congress. We are supposed to be
true Americans here, and still we
want foreign ships to carry ouI
freight and our passengers. Citizens
look at this matter the way it is and
hope that in time Congress will see
fit to pass the subsidy bill in refer
. ence to American ships, but do not
be willing to sit back with our arms
folded and wait for this day to come
but get out with some of the Anne
rlcan nerve and push that we are
noted for as nation and solve this
all important matter by having a line
Of our own, and by the time that the
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