The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-12-18
PUBLIC LANDS AND
PLAGUE MONEY
lFrom Wednesdays Advertiser,

from Wednesdays Advertlser.p
Governor Frear seems to be at work
in Washington in an effort either to
have the Territory reimbursed for
some of its expenditures in protecting
the Pacific Coast from plague and
1 other diseases from the Orient, or
else to have it relieved from the bur.
den of such expenditures in the fu-
ture. Acting Governor Mott.Smith re-
ceived the following cablegram from
him early yesterday morning:
| Washington, ID. c., December Is.
email Land Commission report to
Senator Foraker and Representative
| Hamilton.
"Cable approximate amounts paid
! by merchants and Territory in re in.
fectious diseases other than leprosy
since 1900.
"Perhaps 60 New York Thursday.
"FREAR. "
Senator Foraker is chairman of the
Senate Committee on Pacific Islands
and Porto Rico, and Representative
| Hamilton is chairman of the House
| Committee on Territories. 1t is these
| committees which will consider the
amendments to the Organic Act which
the Governor has drafted. What these
amendments are no one here knows,
except In the vague way that they are
drawn for the purpose of permitting
the Legislature to amend our public
land laws. They were drafted by Gov
ernor Frear on his way to the Coast.
No copies of the drafts in their final
shape have been received here, So far
as known.
As to the matter Of infectious dis
eases, whenever any of the Pacific
| Coast cities have had cases of plague
the Federal authorities have taken
hold. spent Federal money, and lots of
| it, and given the cities an entire clean
| ing up. DR.. Cofer was sent from here
to Seattle TO take charge of the work
there, and thousands of dollars of
United States money was spent in the
work. But when the same thing has
happened here, the Territory has been
left to put up the funds itself with
which to make the fight. At the same
time it is universally admitted that
this is an outpost that is of great SER
vice in protecting the Coast cities.
Acting Governor Mott-Smith ex-
presses the belief that the Governor is
seeking Federal aid in this very i'm
portant matter of fighting infectious
and quarantinable diseases. The Mer-
chants Association and the Chamber
of Commerce will be communicated
with to furnish the information de-
sired.
From the last sentence of the cable
it is thought that the Governor means
he will start for home by way of New
York and in that case will arrive here
December 2s.
~ y y u y ~ ~ " ~ ~ &.s " !: " y - -
suggest that this is voluntary ad-
vance of rates. Ordinarily, ideas of
to follow the lead of the railroads and
to get all the commodities would bear.
But in this instance the circumstances
are entirely different The steamers
are not carrying full cargoes. That is
fact with which every business man
here is familiar. And in following
the advances of the railroads, the COM
pany will occupy relatively the same
position it DOES now. When the new
rates go into effect, it will carry what
! it is carrying now-whatever is left
by the railroads. And the steamers
will continue to load but 20 per cent.
cargoes 1t, to me, is perfectly OBJ
vious that the American. Hawaiian
Company has been forced into this ad-
vance of rates"
The almost nervous interest in the
conduct of the American.Hawaiian
Company is due largely to the fact
that in its few years of existence it
has proved a wonderful factor in West
ern commerce The company began
somewhat modestly with n small fleet
of vessels. Its growth was prodigious,
however, and within few years it
has acquired an immense feet of
steamships, ranging in tonnage from
the Nevadan. 60O0, to the Alaskan,
10000. In 1907 it added to the fleet
the Maine and Missouri. two 1000
| ton vessels, which were purchased
from the Atlantic Transportation Com
pany. At the time of this purchase
three steamers were building, the Mex
lean, Columbian and Isthmian. These
have now been added to the feet,
which has an aggregate tonnage of
more than 100000.
The Tehuantepec Route.
Last year the company performed
the well-nigh marvellous feat of con
veying freight from San Francisco via
Tehuantepec TO New York in less time
than the shipments could be made by
rail. With such excellent service and
such adequate facilities for handling
traffic, the company soon made its in
fiuence felt by the railroads. especial
ly by the lines which dominate the
Western country.
BY the perfection of its Tehuante.
pee route it was enabled to develop
an enormous commerce, which took
millions of dollars from the transcon.
tinental lines. A triangular service
was maintained from Salina Cruz, the
Hawaiian Islands and Pacific Coast
ports. In addition fleet was kept in
the Atlantic to carry freight from
Coatzacoalcos, the Gulf terminus OF
the Tehuantepec National Railroad, Il
New York and other ports on the AT
lantic seaboard. A fabulous incom,
, was derived from sugar movement
from the Islands and splendid pat
i ronage was given the company in east
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