The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-09-03

Resolved, By the Merchants ASso-
citation of Honolulu, That we earnestly
urge that early steps be taken to widen
and deepen the channel entrance to
Pearl Harbor, in order to make the
harbor available for vessels of the navy
and merchant marine; and be it fur
ther
Resolved, That we ask the Presi-
dent of the United States to incor-
porate in his next message to Congress,
recommendation that appropriations
be made and work commenced, at an
early date, at this point, which is of
great Importance to the commercial
and the strategic predominance of the
United States in the Pacific Ocean; be
it further
Resolved, That copies of these reso-
lutions be sent to the President of the
United States, the President of the
Senate, the Speaker of the House Of
Representatives, members of the Cabi-
net, and to each member of the Senate
and the House of Representatives"
FAVOR FREE SHIPPING.
A resolution calling upon Congress to
allow of the suspension of the Coastwise
Laws as applying to Hawaii, at the dis
cretion of the President, was carried,
after being vigorously debated. The
final passage, however, was by the
unanimous vote of the members The
resolution was:
ITO the Directors of the Merchants
Association.
Your committee to whom was re-
ferred the subject of the Coasrw1se
Shipping Laws beg to report as fol-
lows:
while we fully recognize the wis.,
dom of the policy that caused the Con-
gress of the United States to legis-
late for the protection of American
shipping engaged in the coastwise
shipping trade, we desire to point out
that, since the passage of the Act of
passenger traffic, between the Terri
tory of Hawaii and the mainland.
I'VE recommend, therefore, the adop-
ton of the following:
Whereas, We feel convinced that
will greatly benefit the Territory by
inducing travel and bringing to the no.
tice of our fellow citizens on the main
land tn" many advantages which the
Territory offers, and, as a consequence,
the building up of the citizen popula-
ton from a most desirable class; and
Whereas, 1t will, in our opinion,
eventually accrue to the benefit of the
American shipping interests, in the up
building of traffic in the Pacific; there
fore, be it
Resolved, That we petition the Con-
gress of the United States to authorize
the President to suspend, in his dis
cretion, from the date of the procla-
nation thereof, the Coastwise Shipping
Laws, as applied to passenger traffic
Congress in question, the conditions
which it was intended to cover have
materially changed.
THE acquisition by the United
States of Territory at a remote dis
tance from the coastwise border has
rendered impossible, in the Pacific
Ocean, the carrying out of the law
without the same being burdensome,
inconvenient and, at times, subversive
of the rights of American citizens,
more particularly as applied to the free
transit of citizens and others desiring
to avail themselves of free and unin-
terrupted communication between the
ports of the Territory of Hawaii and
ports of the Pacific Coast of the main
land.
This condition is due, more partic,
ularly, to the inadequate number OF
American vessels, intended for passen-
ger service, on the Pacific Ocean, and
the improbability, at an early date, of
the condition being relieved.
your committee are fully convinced
that a temporary suspension of the
Coastwise Shipping Laws, as applied
to the Territory of Hawaii, and for
passenger traffic only, would materially
rebound to the social, political and COM
mercial welfare of the Territory of Ha-
wall, rendering convenient and easy of
access to, and return from, the island
possession, that it would arouse an in
terest and desire in the minds of many
to visit the Territory. thereby promising