The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-08-20
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PROMISES AID
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OF commerce., lndV prOmOtlOn W0rK is
bearing fruit, and that the Pacific Mail
Company has taken cognizance Of the
fact, Said Mr.. Schwerin:
81 have no doubt but that the PEG.
pie Of this Territory are looking into
the future. When the Panama Canal
is completed, that waterway is bound
to work revelation in business con-
ditions in Hawaii, and particularly in
the commercial Importance of this
port The conditions are such that Ho-
nolulu must become most important
port of call.
"There is no doubt that you here
have a splendid harbor. This, the
western outpost of the United States,
from military standpoint, is bound
to be visited by an increasing number
of ships. Here vessels must call for
coal, for water and for supplies.
More Water Needed.
81 hope that you will pardon me
if l criticize you for making land in
stead of water in your harbor. Hong
kong, the greatest port in the world,
does not want piers; she wants every
bit of harbor that she has. Lighter
age is demanded, that the waterfront
may not be taken up with wharves.
"When ship calls here, her cap
tain does not want to lie out in the
ocean. He wants a harbor where he
has room to maneuver. You have seen
the Mongolia or the Korea turning in
your harbor. You know what it means.
Should there be anything else in the
harbor at the time, something must
happen.
"You need more water. If you can
find way of increasing the area Of
water in the harbor, and reducing the
land do so by all means.
"You have probably noticed for
some time past that the red line on
our ships has been growing and grow
ing. 1t has now reached the point
where the water ballast in our vessels
is greater than the cargo capacity.
"When I came to the Pacific Mail
Company, found the concern heavily
in debt. Bankruptcy was staring the
company in the face. began to con-
slider ways and means for sending
American manufactured articles to the
! Orient | took the matter up with Mr..
huntington and asked for a large ship.
The experiment proved successful, and
we soon built up an enormous business.
| Then the Interstate Commerce Com
mission came along and said that we
were rebating.
1--WE could not comply with the rul-
ing of the commission in regard to the
publication of notice of change of rates,
because the rates in the Orient change
daily. We got ruling allowing us to
change rates as often as we liked, but
we were required to cable all changes
to the commission, and follow the
cablegram up with letter, just as soon
as the ship affected reached port.
Accused of Rotating.
ga new clerk failed to mail the let.
ter ON the arrival of one of our ships
in San Francisco, and the commission
pounced upon us. The Commission did
not indict me, but it indicted the Pa
ciflc Mail. Finally Judge de Haven
dismissed the case on the ground that
the commission had no Jurisdiction.
"But that is just what we are fac
ing. Kranklin X. Lane of San Fran
cisco said that the fact that the money
goes into the pockets of American bust.
ness men does not justify the long
continental haul, and transpacifc sail
| against the Suez Canal route.
"We are now getting about 10000
tons of freight year from the gov
eminent, for the Orient. This freight
we carry at fiat rate Of $40 ton.
The railroad gets 5000 2-3 ton of that
money, and the ship company gets the
rest
"You gentlemen present, who are in.
terested in the shipping business, must
remember that that business between
here and the mainland is n very differ
ent thing from business with the ORR.
emit, In the matter of transportation
TO foreign lands we must consider cost,
accommodations, and whether the oppo-
stion gets anything from its govern.
ment that we do not get.
Must Compete With Subsidy.
:" For every trip that one Of the
big japanese liners makes, her owners
get from $4,000 to $4,000 from their
government We must take that into
consideration
"But business between here aud tho
mainland is different Nnntter, Our
business has grown by leaps and
bounds, and ! am here 20 SEQ what can
be- done In this way Of increasing ae.
o0mm0daii0ns -