The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-12-15
ENGINEERS not
FOR SUSPENSION
President of Association Was
Unaware That Move Is tor
Passengers Only.

After considering the question of the
snsnension Of coastwise laws ever since
that question first attained prominence
in Hawaii. the Marine Engineers , ABene-
fetal Association at a meeting Monday
NIGHT passed resolutions opposing such
action.
This resolution has been sent to
Washington and all over the mainland
Tn discussing the action of the en-
gineers Yesterday afternoon, George Z.
Ward the president of the association,
set forth the reasons that led the men,
hers thereof to vote as they did. The
chief reason given is the possibility Of
foreign lines, who pay their officers
little, obtaining control to such an ex-
tent that the American engineer will
be crowded out.
Ward did not know that the resolu-
ton as passed by the civic federation
referred to passengers only and that all
freight must still be carried under the
American flag, and admitted that, un-
der those circumstances, the matter
bore different aspect.
According to President Ward, the
members of the association objected to
the calling of the mass meeting at a
time when the wOrkingmen could not
attend and their resolution claims that
the expressions of the various mercan-
tile and commercial bodies are not rep
resentative of Hawaiian sentiment on
the matter.
Ward states that the association of
which he is head does not believe the
reports of tourists being left in San
Francisco and states also that the as
ISOLATION secretary has kept tab on all
the arrivals here in regard to the
capacity of the vessels and the actual
number of passengers on them. The
statistics SO gathered, he says, show
that there are plenty of empty berths
on every vessel arriving. He does not
take into consideration the fact that
the capacity of most vessels is figured
at three to a cabin, an arrangement
which, if enforced, usually results in
keeping away more tourists than a lack
of accommodation.
He calls attention to the fact that
the vessel manned by Britishers and
flying the Norwegian flag which ar
rived here a short time ago with 1000
tons of coal had lower running expenses
shan the smallest of the Inter-Island
vessels It's officers, he states, received
but fifty or sixty dollars a month while
American officers draw salaries ranging
- L. L !
foreign vessels gain control of the
transportation the American engineer
would be crowded off and this is the
argument which caused the opposition
vote.
He could advance no definite reasons
| why the foreign vessels should gain
control after learning that the suspen-
sion resolution did not contain a freight
clause, freight being the mainstay of
| all lines.
In connection with the use Of oriental
| crews which the Pacific Mail advocates
| by practice, and which was pointed out
| to him as an example of the square
deal which that company is giving the
American flag, his arguments are
sounder but not convincing. He claims
| that every company would prefer to
| use American crews because thev are
the best in the world, but lid not be.
cause American sailors were too mn.
trustworthy as regards prompt report
to duty, usually getting drunk Just be
fore sailing time. Taking into consid
Grafton the well-known economic ten.
denotes of General Manager Schverir
| of the Pacific Mail, this, he afterwards
conceded, might be only partially true
Their decision as expressed in the
resolution is an honest and straightfor
| ward one.
! Ward believes that in short time
there will be enough American boat,
to handle all American passengers anf
believes that Hawaii should be conten4
to wait until these vessels are buiIt
The resolutions follow:
Gilded Luxuryl
Whereas, The unanimous senti
ments of approval favoring the susnen
SION OF the coastwise shipping laws il
| Tns,