The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-04
4 CONCESSION MADE

/
quirements.
With Mr. Schwerif we had a mum,
Der of conferences, and he produced
arguments from the statistics and ex.
perience of his own company to show
that the thing was impossible. Nc
local steamer would hold the passen-
ger trade as against the large through
steamers, unless it was as large as
they, or made much faster time He
| showed that the China, whenever il
sailed just before or just after one Of
the four large vessels, went with few
passengers. She did not have enough
! passenger accommodations to meet the
requirements of a local boat. besides
not meeting the other requirements of
| size or speed
"One day while in San Francisco.
and after these conferences, Mr. Shin
gle received a telegram from friend
of his in Wyoming, an attorney for
the Union Pacific Railway, asking him
to secure him passage on the Korea,
provided be could get assurance of
accommodations to return on the Man
churia. If he could not get such as
surances, he would forego his trip to
the islands. Here was a concrete in
stance in point of what we had rep
resented to Mr.. Schwerin. Mr.. Shin
gle took this telegram to Mr.. Schwerin
and pointed out to him that by giving
the assurance asked for his company
got the fare down and back. but. not
giving it, his company lost the pas
senger altogether. Finally as a result
of this representation Mr.. Schwerin
made the concession Mr.. Single has
reported to you. AS we had no more
authority to speak for the entire COM
munity than any other two individ-
uals, we report this matter to you
who do represent in a. larger way the
community.
For my own part, 1 favor approx
ing the concession. In some degree it
may inconvenience the local passenger
who books early for these vessels by
giving the round trip-ticket purchaser
and the lay-over passenger the pref
erence of these reserved cabins. But
the fact that people are not able TO
get assurance of return accommoda-
tions is keeping them away. 1t is, if
not killing the tourist business, at
least preventing its growth. BY ac-
cepting this, tourist business will be
the demand for a local boat. Without
it the local boat can never come.
While these matters were going on,
the bill to permit steamships under
other flags to carry passengers and
perishable freight from the islands
was introduced. The Representatives
of all four of the interested steam
ship companies opposed it at once. We
represented TO the Observation-Disclosures
that the japanese were about to put
on three additional large vessels under
heavy Japanese subsidy. We repre-
scented to Mr. Dearborn that these ves-
sells would develop large passenger
traffic at the expense of the Japanese
subsidy. AS the bill ended the excep-
ton to the coastwise prohibition at |
the end of six years, and made it pos |
s.ble to be ended sooner by the Presi-
dent, that business developed at the |
expense of the Japanese subsidy would |
fall to any American company that I
was prepared to take it up. Mr.. Dear-f
born accepted this conclusion and
withdrew his opposition. Mr.. Matson1
did, also. Mr.. Schwerin did practical
ly. The Oceanic people said that they'll
were opposed to it on principle, and
hence did not feel that they could con-
sent to It's
F. j. Lowrey asked Mr. Thurston If
ne thought this bill would pass. Mr.,
Thurston said he thought 1T would
E. D. Tenney asked what he thought /
about the chances of the ship subsidy
bill. Mr.. Thurston replied that he did
not think anybody knew anything Il
about it. There were those well in
formed who thought it would pass,
and Others equally well Informed who
thought it would not.
L. T. Peck asked if under the ar
offered by Schwerin the
passenger in buying his round-trip
ticket for the islands had to nominate
1t that time the steamer on which he
Wished to return. Mr.. Thurston re-
)lied that such was his understand
ng; that if he did not go on the
steamer he nominated, he did not lose
lis rights under his round-trip ticket; (
tut simply his special privilege Of
precedence over other would-be pas
engers.
W. NJ. Giffard said that persons buy
ng such round-trip tickets and COM
ms here might want to remain longer
han they had intended, but would
lot, because of the special privilege
;iven by this concession, and thus the
stands would lose the bene6t of their
onger stay.
L. T. Peck said he knew of tourists
low in the islands who were going
Jack by the Manchuria, though they
would like to remain longer, simply
because they could not get assurance
f accommodations on the next boat
Ind must be back by a certain time.
At President Morgan's suggestion
he matter was referred to a special
committee of three to be appointed by
he chair, Mr.. E. 1. Spalding making
he motion.
President Morgan later appointed
he following committee: F\J. Low
ey chairman: L. Tenney Peck and
\. W. T. Bottomley.
The same matter viii be presented