The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-12-06
PACIFIC MAIL
MAY WITHDRAW

CFrom Wednesdays Advertiser.)
NEW YORK, November pat the
dinner of the naval architects given
here tonight. R. P. Schwerin of San
Francisco, president of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, was one of the
| speakers. In response to request to
tell what the United States is doing for
the merchant marine on the Pacific
A, coast, he said the failure of the gov
eminent to support its maritime indus
tries was fast driving the American
flag from the Pacific as well as the
Atlantic. Mr.. Schwerin declared that
the United States government, through
/ its policy of interference and unwise
! legislation had ruined its business and
that to continue would entail an an
nual loss, which its directors would not
sanction.
Mr.. Schwerin said tonight that his
company would not apply for a renewal
of its charters on its expiration, April
10, and would 60 out of business on
that date.
"What has the United States govern
ment done for us7 Within a short pc
Rod we were fined some $42l 900 for
infraction of the many regulations
with which we have recently been
hedged about. OF this amount we paid
some $26O,OO0, having managed to Sc
cure reduction of the original
amount. .
FWe have suffered loss of from
100000 to $4,000,00J while our rivals
have added some $5,O00,O0O to their
Golfers. That is the plain, hard fact.
That is the way the United States
treats its shipping"
He followed up the Introductory part
of his discourse with the assertion that
the line which he represented is now
/ losing money all the time as the re-
suit of the governments attitude to-
ward its affairs, and tonight intimated
that no application will be made for
the renewal of its charter.
WASHINGTON EXCITED.
WASHINGTON, November 25.-R. P.
Schwerin s complaint that the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company is being put
out of business by regulations imposed
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
SION has brought forth a sharp reply
from the commission. Commissioner
Franklin K. Lane, who investigated
the Hartman Steamship and Railroad
companies and found the former was
engaged in rebating, has written the
general manager of the Pacific Mail,
and the language is terse and to the
point.
In the first place the commissioner
denies that any regulations have been
made to apply specifically to the Pa
cifc Mail and the company is informed
that all it is required to do is to OBJ
serve the laws. Specific points are
given, however, that rebating, long in
practice by the Pacific Mail Company,
will not be allowed to continue and
that rate schedules fled with the COM
mission must be adhered to.
Schwerin further complained that his
company could not change rates within
thirty days, as required by law, and
he was told that he never applied for
permission to change rates. His at
tention is called to the provision in
the law which permits the commits
sion, under unusual circumstances, to
waive the enforcement of the thirty
day revisement and then Commissioner
Lane informs him that he has never
applied for permission to take adj
vantage of that emergency clause.
"Mr Schwerin should criticize the
law, not the commission" said Com
missioner Lane, this evening. "The
has made no regulation of
any kind that is. Instantaneous to
the Pacific Mail Company. We have
told them that Relating must stop"
n II
On Mr., Schwerin's depressing state
ment the San Francisco Chronicle com
ments editorially thus, =.
X. P. Sehwerin of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company declares that it is
very doubtful whether the company
continues in business after the expira-
ton of its charter, next April, and we
presume it is doubtful At any rate,
we do not see how it can possibly sue
coed on the Pacific except by suffer
ance of its foreign rivals and forbear-
ance of that kind is not usual in such
eases. Mr.. Schwerin states that the
;auses of the loss in operation which
will drive the company from the sea
are: First, competition of subsidized ~
'ivals while this country gives no sub
'luN StCUuu, the tAC1uSlOu VI Ou1utSc
coolies now, probably to be followed
by the exclusion of other Asiatics;
bird, the government regulation pre-
-enting it from changing its rates with
nut thirty days. notice, while its for
ign competitors may change rates
wenty times a day if necessary to get
BUSINESS and give no notice at all.
AS to the last count in the indict- {
nent, we are of the opinion that the ,
Pacific Mail has a genuine grievance
or which some remedy must be found.
f we desire to encourage American
hipping it is very stupid in us to
it with restrictions which will
revent it from getting any business
which its foreign competitors desire. {
IS to the threatened loss of its immi-
rant business, the company may as
yell recognize the fact that if we can q
ave no communication with Asia ex-
ept at the cost of admitting Asia t
ic coolies we will do without such COM
lunication. No steamship line to the d
'rient should hereafter be financed on c
he assumption that any important +
evenue will be got from the transpor- Il
alton of coolies. Il
As to the subsidies, they must be a