The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-12-14

be that whoever differs with the Bull
letin's editor is q traitor to the flag
He is to be respected for his views,
but at the same time those who differ
from him should have the same con-
cessions. Those who do not agree with
MS are worthy of consideration and
worthy of respect. If those at this
meeting pass a resolution asking for
a suspension of the coastwise law, are
they to be dubbed traitorsi
alt is hoped we will have n per-
fectly free and amicable expression of
opinion.
Regarding Mr.. Tenney's position,
he is an able business man, man en-
titled to the respect of everybody in
Honolulu. He represents a company
which is the agent for the Matson Nav
igation Company that is putting very
large amount of money into a shipping
company and into a new single ship,
and naturally he has the tremors that
capital often has-that if it is not
well safeguarded it is going to be ruin
ed. Such views should not be de-
nounced.p -
Resolution Applauded.
]. P. Cooke, manager of Alexander
& Baldwin, then arose and read the
suspension resolution. as given above,
and when he had finished, the meeting
broke into applause. The resolution
was seconded by w. II. Hoogs, and
call was made for expressions of
opinion.
Chamber Has Cabled.
]. F. Morgan, president of the cham
ber of commerce, stated that he had
been asked why the chamber of com.
merce does not send a cablegram to
Washington concerning the coastwise
suspension. The fact is. he added, that
the chamber of commerce passed reso
lutions embodying sentiments that the
chamber would like to see federal as.
sstance given toward enlarging the
American merchant marine, and also
passed reolutions that if this was not
done, to pass law suspending the
coastwise law. He had found no occa.
sion for the chamber of commerce to
repeat itself, because the chamber was
working on that same resolution, and
by letter and by cable he had done
his part toward the end desired. Gap
plause.)
The Lone Opposition.
W. R. harrington was called upon
to present his side of the matter. He
said in part "As ] have ample OPP
portunity to express my opinions every
day in the week, hesitate to take up
the time of the meeting. i am opposed
to the suspension of the coastwise law
in its application to Hawaii. l be-
lieve we should build up our own feet
under the American flag. / believe
it the coastwise law was suspended
that within five years the traffic be-
tween Honolulu and the Coast will be
in the hands of the japanese. Believ-
ing that / would not lend my voice in
any effort that would turn the traffic
10 American ports into the hands of
aliensn
Not sound greeted this address.
Not Afraid of Suspension.
]. P. Cooke again arose and said that
as one who was interested in the Mat
son Navigation Company, he could also
say for his firm and board of directors
that "We believe that suspension is
going to be a benefit, rather than
detriment to the future traffic between
the Coast and Hawaii" (Applause.)
A Good Precedent.
f, j. Waldron, chairman of the mer-
chants association, said that a great
deal had been said about a precedent
being established if coastwise law sus-
pension were asked for. Hs said that
at the time of the coal strike crisis,
the president of the United States took
the duty off coal for one year. He
did not believe that the suspension of
the coastwise law would establish a
precedent for any other matters.
Specific Instances.
Ed Towse said that one of the biggest
assets which Honolulu has or hopes to
have, is the tourist traffic He said
he was authorized to use a few names
in giving instances of where tourists
were affected by the coastwise law. The
family of /. B. Hord of Nebraska was
stopping at the Moana and was spend.
ing $3.50 a week. They had to leave
mere three weeks before they wished to
on account of being unable to get
steamer accommodations later. He
said also +. d. Rusk, contractor
for the Burlington system, had exactly
the same experience. Mr.. Fitzpatrick, |
of the firm of Fitzpatrick and Collins,
railroad builders, had precisely the
same difficulty in leaving the Islands. |
These men like to travel, but at their |
own convenience.
The arrival of hundred tourists the |
other day in one of the big steamers
meant lot to the merchants.
Behind all of the arguments with |
respect to merchant marine were two |
or three facts. One is the claim that
the merchant marine should be built
up to help the navy. OF the thousands |
of men who were here with the Pa. |
eitic and Atlantic fleets, he did not be |
lieve there were twenty men aboard |
who had graduated from the merchant
marine. The navy today wants cleo
tricians and mechanics, not the men
found in the crews of sailing ships. |
There was time when the sailors of |
the old merchant ships went into the
navy and were most acceptable. There |
was a philosophical side to the matter
also. There may come a time, he said, |
when the men now manufacturing |
|