The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-01-03
AS Others See Us
Letters
Evening Post accompanied Congressional Party.


the House and promised that if the
Hawaiians were compelled by law TO
patronize American ships, sufficient
accommodation would be provided for
all who cared to travel. This promise
has not been kept. Steamships are
coming into Honolulu now crowded
with passengers from the East, and
unable TO take any people aboard at
Honolulu. Governor Carter desired to
sail from Honolulu on the Mongolia the
day the Congressional party arrived in
the islands, but space could not be
found for him. He was forced to wait
over nearly fortnight until another
vessel flying the American flag came
into port.
Wealthy men of the islands have
offered to subscribe literally to organ
ize new steamship line to run ves-
sells under the American flag between
Honolulu and the Pacific Coast of the
mainland. They have been unable to
interest American capital in the en-
terprise, Residents of the Territory
who are affected by the lack of ade-
quate shipping facilities have appar-
emily come to realize that the senti-
ment of the mainland is strongly
against the payment of subsidies to
steamship companies. The merchants
and large business men here have
about given up hope of securing any
aid through the enactment of the Ship
Subsidy bill by Congress.
TREATMENT CONF.ESSEDLY UN-
| FAIR.
1.-THE shipping interests have been
unfair to these islands and unfair in
their treatment of the Government"
said Representative Stevens of Mime
sofa the other day to a local question
er. II was one of the members of the
committee in which was discussed the
question of the extension of the coast
ing law to Hawaii and remember dis
tinctly that the law was made oper-
ative here on the distinct promise of
the shipping men that there would be
at all times sufficient shipping to
handle the passenger and freight traf-
fle of these islands without hampering
In any way the shipper. I find, how
ever, that the banana industry on this
island of Hawaii has been ruined
through lack OF shipping facilities.
This is one example of the way the
shipping INTEREST have treated this
place. The actions of the steamship
companies have been great disap-
pointment, and I can tell you that the
Government is getting tired of this
kind of bunco business" !
{ Representative Stevens had been in
vestigating this question before he ex-
pressed himself in this way in Hilo
last week. He had also had his atten-
ton called to the matter of the favored
few securing the remission of the fine
of 5000 inflicted upon those taking pas
sage between here and the Coast on
steamships flying the British and jap
. anese flags. 4
, 'SOur attention has been called to
this he said. 1T appears that a good
many of the Federal officials have been
travelling on these foreign liners and
having their fines RENTED, while the
people who have to wait for the Amer
lean liners pay the penalty without any
hope of a rebate This is a gross un-H
fairness. If any officials are ito be
allowed to travel in this way, every
one ought to be allowed to do the same.
It is our intention to have an inves-
tigation made and have the names of
those who have had their fines re-
mitted put on record. We will also
demand the reason why the rebates
were granted and if these reasons are
not satisfactory some one Is going to
suffer-
ANOTHER CONGRESSMAN'S COM
MENT.
Here is the comment pf another one
of the Congressman now visiting the
islands: I'm enforcing those regula-
tions so far away from the coast line
proper a great injustice has been done
these islands. So far as actual coast
, ing trade is concerned, their applica-
ton has been jus&, but it was surely
never intended that these laws should
be stretched so far and applied hall
way across the Pacific.
Through a good many Of our East
ern States run branches of the various
Canadian railroads. Do you suppose
for minute that the people served by
these lines would consent to any law
which would deprive them of the use
of these lines if they wanted to travel
on them? why, the people there would
think it an outrage if any abridgment
of their right to use the most eonve-
nlent INES was ueiiieu tiAe.i' 0i
then, should you people here be de-
prived of your right to travel on the
first steamship that is going the way
you want to go? There may possibly
be some excuses for making the law
applicable here so far as freight ship
ments are concerned, but the law
which makes passengers wait here and
watch ships sail without them until an
American liner comes along is an I'M
just one