The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-12-03
INTER-|SLAND
PLANS GOLFERS
But Can Not Run Them Against
Competition Of Government
and Foreign Ships.

Although the lnter-lsianu stednsniP
company is looking to the future with
reference to the coal business, particu-
Iarly in view of the opening of the
Panama Canal, when it is expected that
the largest freighters and passenger
vessels from many parts of the world
may use Honolulu as port of call,
yet the officials feel that their plans
may depend largely upon whether they
can build GOLFERS cheap enough to en-
able them to transport their coal sup.
plies from Australia to Honolulu.
The company has had under consid-
Grafton the construction of at least
two great golfers for coal carrying ex-
clusively, but the cost of such vessels,
if built in American shipyards, is
prohibitive. The plans under consid-
GRAFTON were found to be almost iden-
tifical with those of the navy depart
ment for the Mars and Prometheus,
each of which cost over half million.
The same vessels, if built in foreign
shipyards, would cost about half that
amount, but being built in foreign
countries they would have to fly for
eign flag, and the company would have
white elephant on its hands with ref
erence to putting them in the Pactc
trade.
The cost of operating such vessels
If built in America, under the present
American system of wages, would be
much greater than vessels flying for
eign flags with which they would have
to compete.
The Inter-Island company which re-
IF ha finest Ot
modern coal-handling plants manufac
tured in New York, a plant which in
volved an expediture of several hun
dred thousand dollars, has also found
itself in competition with the United
States government, or more particu
larly the navy Department. The Inter
Island company has frequently coaled
foreign warships. But the system en-
ployed by the navy department in more
recent times of transporting coal from
Norfolk to Honolulu in British GOLFERS
and of supplying that coal to what
ever warships entered port and asked
for it. has put the Inter-Island company
in a position where it could not make
a bid for supplying such ships. The
company realizes that there is Ger
tain degree of international courtesy
to be observed on the part of the nav.
department toward the warship visitors
of other nations, but every warshiI
calling here recently has had its bunk
ers supplied from the naval station Goa
piles.
The navy department lands its Goa
here from Norfolk in British collier
at very low price, little over So
AS the British GOLFERS have few Eek
tras'' to pay, which they would
they were bringing coal to private cor
porations, they are able to land tn
coal at an unusually low price. AL
though they come many thousand mile
more than steamers from Australia ant
take about thirty days longer on thei
trips around the Horn, yet the pric
is far below what coal can be lande
for to private enterprises from Austria
1ian collieries.
The Inter-Island company supplie
some of the japanese warships wit
coal, but the last warship here fror
Japan was furnished with coal fror
the naval station piles. The questio
arises again whether the United State
has the right to enter into compet
ton with vested interests of privat
corporations. Even with American
built GOLFERS, the company feels tina
the cost of obtaining and transportin
coal from Australia to Honolulu woul
be large.
OF course, many of the warships pre-
fer anthracite coal to the softer cos
from Australia, and it is the anthracit
which the naval station can suppl,
Whatever development in the bushes
is necessary to meet conditions TIL
Inter-Island company plans to carry il
to effect, but the company will go slor
and look far into the future befoI
taking any steps.
The following dispatch from Wasl
ington, dated November %, is in lin
with the local feeling on this subject
"Shipowners of San Francisco, con
planning that they have many vesse
idle in Oakland creek, while foreig
ships are enjoying large patronag
from the United States government
are taking steps to lay the situatio
before the President and his cabine
''The shipping of coal for the Nav
in foreign bottoms is the particul;
cause of complaint. The government
allowance TO the American shipown,
of an additional percentage in ord,
that he may compete has not prove
enough to meet the cheap charters, an
larger bonus will be asked. The ma
ter is to be taken up through Seeretar
Meyer by representatives of San Fra
cisco and members of the Calforn
delegation