The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-04-19
MARINE
WANT DIRECT
TRADE WITH Us
Northwest Concerns Will Make
Proposals for Steamships
and Business.

Whatever its outcome, some of the
leading agents of transcontinental rail
road lines, with offices in Portland, viii
make an effort to secure trade relations
and the Inauguration of direct steam
ship service with Hawaii, says the Port
land Telegram. Though attempts have
been made heretofore, times without
number, the railroad men, through their
desire to boost Portland, expect to
take the proposition up directly with
the business interests of the Islands,
anticipating, of course, that they will
have the united support of the com
mercial organizations of this city.
splendid opportunity for laying the
matter before the Hawaiian merchants
VIII come about the last week OF May,
or possibly early in June, when a large
delegation from the Islands will visit
this city, as well as other places on the
Coast. The delegation viii be headed
by the members of the Hawaiian Com
mission 70 the AY-P Exposition, and
from reports that have been received
here, it is evident that the delegation
as whole will be the largest and the
most representative that ever visited
the States at one time. The time of
coming has been fixed for about June
j, so that these men may attend the
formal opening of the Sea-. lie fair, at
which Hawaii is to have a high-class
exhibit, and also take in the Rose Fes-
tlvai here, on their business excursion
to the Coast.
What the railroad agents expect to
impress upon the visiting Hawaiians
is the fact that if even very small
cargo shipments can be secured from
athe Islands for Portland, enough
f1through business from the East destin-
ed for the Islands can be laid down
here to operate line of steamers.
while such trade relations have existed
snpon occasion before, the enterprise has
never had the semblance of permanenee
because the merchants at both ends of
1.-THE line have not worked in close enough
harmony.
AS an example of what volume of Ha-
swaiian-bound business can be routed
via PartIand terminals, only two or
three. days ago 100 cars of structural
steel, implements and vehicles were of
fered Portland, and the agent of the
railroad company here was requested
to secure rate to Honolulu.
The agent was advised by the steam
ship men that the only rate that could
be granted out of here was. the rate
from San Francisco to Honolulu plus
the local from Portland to the Bay
City. This situation shut Portland out
of consideration, and the big shipment
Went via San Francisco, which has
l common rate with Portland.
I. One of the elements which have in.
terefered with Portland getting any APP
! .preeiabe amount of business from Ha-
wall is the fact that most of the money
invested in the Island industries is San
Francisco money; another reason is that
the American; Hawaiian line operating
from the Islands to New York gives a
through rate East to the Hawaiian
shippers that the transcontinental rail
road lines could not touch.
At the same time, it is held by the
local shippers that Portland and its
tributary territory is growing at such
phenomenal rate that it would not
take great deal of hustling to develop
markets in this territory for Hawaiian
goods that would Justify permanent
line of ocean carriers, and no doubt
has ever been expressed that Portland