The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-12-11


guished visitors hive addressed the
commercial bodies of Honolulu has
there been a more representative or
larger turnout of citizens than re-
sponded at the Young Hotel yester-
day afternoon to the call of the Civic
Federation for a public meeting to dis
cuss the proposal of coastwise law
suspension. Bankers and merchants,
brokers and lawyers, steamship and
railroad and hotel men, clergy and col
lege professors, leaders of past and
present were all numbered in the as
sembly.
W. r. Castle called the meeting to
order and explained its purpose.
though convoked by the Civic Fedora
ton it was not to be considered as
under the auspices of that body any
more than of the Chamber of Com
merce or the Merchants Association.
The idea was to have some organiza-
ton bring the citizens together. And
| it was not desired to have the meet
ing one-sided A good deal might be
said on both sides, and a free express
sion of opinion was invited Mr. Cas-
/ tie made some humorous comments on
an editorial reference to the meeting
in that afternoons Bulletin and asked
the meeting to organize.
Mr.. Castle was himself unanimously
elected chairman and F. l.. Waldron
president of the Merchants Associa-
ton, secretary.
]. P. Cooke read the following res
olution, which after several able
speeches was adopted by a rising
vote:
Whereas, the coastwise navigation
laws of the United States were enact
| ed at a time when there were no de-
tachd sections of the republic to be
affected thereby, and it can not be
supposed that present conditions were
then contemplated; and
Whereas, the provisions of such
laws, prohibiting the carrying of pas
/ sengers in foreign vessels from one
port of the country to another, when
such ports are not connected by con-
, tinuous coast line, bear with peculiar
hardship on places wholly separated
from the mainland by hundreds or
thousands of miles of ocean, in the alb
sence Of adequate shipping facilities;
and
Whereas, in the absence of suffi-
cient American vessels to meet the
demands of passenger travel between
Hawaii and the mainland, such laws
have borne with great hardship or
this Territory, to the detriment of its
development, and sufficient relief is
not in sight; therefore,
Resolved, That while earnestly and
loyalty desiring the restoration of the
American merchant marine to it's for:
mer prosperous condition, believing it
to be the duty of the congress to
amend existing laws and enact such
dency to foster and build up such
American merchant marine, we re
gard the enforcement of the coastwise
navigation laws as to the carrying OF
passengers between Hawaii and the
mainland until there shall be suffi
cient American vessels to meet the
demand as hardship and injustice tc
Hawaii, not justified; and we there
fore respectfully ask Congress to sus
pend the coastwise navigation laws
as to the carrying of passengers be
tween Hawaii and the mainland, I'm
til such time as the President, Oh
such officer as Congress may name
shall find that there are sufficient
American vessels engaged in carrying
passengers between Hawaii and the
mainland to meet all requirements.
AS the lone speaker against the res
, olution nor anyone else rose for the
negative on the vote, the resolution
was declared to have passed unani
/ mously.
Mr.. Castle forwarded a copy of thu
T resolution by the Tenyo Maru's mai
, last night to Geo. B. Mcclellan, secre
tary to the Delegate; also copy t,
F. NJ Hatch and one to the Hous
Committee on Commerce.
j, F. Morgan said the Chamber o
, Commerce was on record in favor o
= ship subsidy or, if that was unat
tainable, suspension of the coastwis
= law. AS president he had done hi
. part by letter and cable to promot
that end
w. r. Farrington-'I believe W
. should build up our own fleet unde
the American flag. l believe if tn
d coastwise law was suspended tina
; within five years the traffic betwee
Honolulu and the Coast will be in tn
hands of the Japanese"