The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-11-09

mcrclal bodies was the mcaps 81 having |
the Wilhclmina built And the agita- |
ton of this question now viii mean
moro ships.
"This Is only n temporary PROPOSE
tion. An we want is n suspension Of the
coastwise shipping laws until there shall
he enough American vessels. | believe
the adoption Of this resolution will be
for the benefit of the people Of Ha-
wall, and l move its adoption"
The Erratic Alfonso.
Alfonso the Erratic, rose TO make one
of his characteristic speeches. lie ac-
cused Cohen of the heinous crime of
quoting an Advertiser editorial. lie be.
lieved that if the resolution were to be
adopted, the United States would not
have even eleven ships. The bulk of
the business would be done by vessels
flying foreign flags "The chances
are" he said, "that the next congress
will pass subsidy to aid American
shipping. But if there is no need for
American ships, then, why should there
be a subsidy to help an American
mariner Quoting Mr.. Cohen, we want
to advance, not to retrograde. Now, are
we advancing or are we retrogradingf
This legislature is extremely patriotic.
I do not believe that this resolution is
American in sentiment. 1t is un-Amer-
lean. Instead of asking congress. to
drive from the Pacific Ocean the eight
American vessels, let us ask congress
to pass a subsidy so we can drive from
| the Pacific the blood-red flag of Japan.
"Some of us are only pocket-deep
| Americans. If matter hits our pock-
cts, we are not American enough to
stand it,
"How much have the public discuss.
ed this matter, outside the pressi We
have The Advertiser advocating this
suspension and the Star and the Bulle-
tin opposing it. / insist that though
the objects sought are only temporary,
it will permanently drive from the Pa
cific Ocean what little shipping we now
have. / therefore move that the resolu-
ton be tabled indefinitely
Kaniho seconded the motion because
he said he considered the resolution
very unpatriotic for the reason that it
tries to help aliens.
He had never seen a petition from
the people asking the suspension of the
coastwise shipping laws. The resolu-
ton would be encouraging japanese,
because they can carry passengers
cheaper than American steamship COM
panies. "We are like Americans
carrying the Japanese flag on our
heads
Castro Convinced.
Castro said he had asked to have
consideration deferred so he could get
some figures showing the conditions OF
passenger traffic between Honolulu ani
! San Francisco.
"The question has been carefully
discussed by the business organizations
and while most of them have agreed
that suspension would be best, other.
have agreed that it would work harm
"This involves a question of prin
ciple; it also involves conditions thai
really exist in Hawaii.
GAS / view the statements of fig
ures showing the number of available
berths in steamers plying between Ho
nolulu and San Francisco, l find tina
all but 6570 or forty-two per cent.
were occupied. This shows that Their
were enough. But the trouble come
in the time between the calls of steam
ers. Sometimes we are two or thre
weeks without steamers. The suspen
foreign boats the advantage will worl
a detriment to the American boats tina
have been calling here at some trouble
"But men who have studied thi
, question with great deal of care sa,
! that I am wrong. Let that be so; cal
, this community accomplish anything b,
, going before congress divided and no
r with a united front7 This question
t does not really belong to the legisla
] ture, but to our commercial bodies.
, have a great respect for the principl
of protection that has built up tn
i. great United States. This resolution,
believe, would discourage the furthe
e building of boats to ply between her
and the Coast. / must stand by IN.
! convictions, and until am convince,
( l can not vote for suspension, for
l believe it would be to the detrimen
of the American boats"
Cohen Replies.
| Cohen replied to Castro. "The re
marks made by the previous speaker,
Q he said, "seem to be an argument il
| favor of the steamship company tina
allows its best boats to lie idle in tn
bay of San Francisco while it send
down here its worst vessel. 1t is a.
l argument in favor of the company tina
says to the person who wants to com
Q to Honolulu, 'Wel III put you on tn
. waiting list, and if there are no pas
I sengers going through to China, we'
give you accommodations
"We're not here to work for the il
terets of the steamship people, but 70
those of the people. / think that tn
: remarks made by two of the speaker
! trying to drill Americanism into m
U uncalled for.
"What we need is ship subsidy
= When we had a ship subsidy, we ha
more ships than any other country j
: the world. Today, where are thos
ships7 They have been reduced t
y eleven. And yet we are asked to 81
: here and, for fear of losing thos
: eleven ships, run the risk of not ge
ting 1000. We have eleven ships an
= England has over 1900. And yet W
| .ra uraotar patinn r;alo. iii,