The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-12-13

SECRETARY VI the coHSIccc tHdt hOuiu
be there the evening of the 1sth-the
day before the congress opens.
/ spent some time on the steamer
studying up Pearl Harbor and yester-
day dictated an address to give upon
that subject before the congress in
case the way should be open for that.
/ have also a number of specially pre-
pared maps illustrating the subject.
Very truly yours,
W. F. FREAR.
REPORT ON REVENUE CUTTER.
The Committee on Harbor, Shipping
and Transportation presented report
on the matter of securing an appro-
priation for revenue cutter at this
port. The report says that since 1901
the Secretary Of the Treasury has in
Guided an item of $225,000 for a rev.
enue cutter in the islands in his
estimates, but that it has regularly
failed to pass congress. The commit
tee suggests that on account of the
increased cost of construction the item
in the estimate ought to be increased
to $275,000 for a revenue cutter of
$50 tons. The report is signed by E.
J. Spalding and A. n. Campbell and
sets out the special needs of revenue
cutter for. these waters. These rea-
sons with others have been embodied |
in letter by President Morgan which |
he has sent to Secretary of the Treas |
ury, George B. Cortelyou, and to a |
number of influential congressman. In !
this letter President Morgan says:
The Manning" was sent here for |
a time and amply demonstrated the |
necessity of having a Coulter" in
these waters, but, as she is required |
for service in the Attic, her stay with |
us could be temporary only, irrespec-
tive of the accident, which is now lay
ing her up for an indefinite time.
Honolulu stands tenth amongst the |
ports of the United States in the
amount of duty collected, the total col
leetions for the last year having been
81, Ass, S43.4s. According to the last
published statistics, the United States
had AZ revenue cutters, many of them
stationed at ports collecting less duty
and of less Importance than Honolulu.
San Juan, Porto Rico, has a cutter of
$50 tons, and is only short sail from
the Florida coast, where several revenue
cutters are stationed and can be easily
available in time of need
The Hawaiian group are POO miles
from the mainland, and with their
many islands and broken coast lines,
afford opportunities for smuggling, or
the landing of arms and ammunition in
case of insurrection or hostilities,
which are impossible to prevent with
out the presence of revenue cutter.
The United States are expanding
large sums and employing numerous
vessels in the protection of the seals
in the Artic ocean; the necessity of
protecting the birds. which frequent
Laysan, Midway, Lisiansky and adj
joining islands in myriads is also
recognized. From the direct testi-
mony of people from those islands, it
seems that some 100000 birds have re-
Gently been slaughtered there for their
plumage by the crews of three small
vessels.
Of the many uses for a revenue cut
ter at this port, one of the most i'm
portant, without doubt, is the relief
of vessels in distress, we would allude
to the signal service rendered by the
Manning on the occasion of the ground
AhS VI tuC anu dISO the
Mary Z. Foster off Oahu. In such
cases timely assistance is of the utmost
and this the revenue boats
can render an account of their su-
perior speed. During the fiscal year,
which ended June 80, 1907, 430 YES
sells aggregating 100000 tons enter
ed and cleared from this port, this
tonnage has been constantly increas
ing and there is every reason to ex-
Dect a great increase of shipping to
'hese islands in the near future, which !
viii make the need of a revenue cut
'er constantly in these waters more !
md more imperative.
The fact that there is not a life
aving station or crew on any of these
stands, should convince Congress of /
he absolute necessity of a revenue cut ]
er stationed here to act in the capacity 6
# life saving at wrecks that are LA &
lie to occur at any time in these a
vaters t
The Honolulu Chamber of Commerce r
arnestly hopes that your efforts to
btain this vessel for US will meet t
Nth early success