The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-23
Compliments for Matson.

There were calls for L. A. Thurston
on the conclusion of Professor Bah
son S remarks, and in response Mr..
T. drston made a terse argument in
favor of the resolution and took occa
sion of the opportunity to pay tribute
to the worth of Captain Matson to the
commerce of the Pacific He said, in
part:
tAs to the question whether this
suspension of the coastwise laws would
hurt fthe existing American lines, |
think it can be shown that it will not.
With free travel the passenger traffic
would grow larger, especially if it were
no longer advertised that those coming
here can not get away. | am told by
those who have come here from the
Orient that that is a steady and regu-
lar statement made by the agents of
the Pacific Mail in Japan. Those who
make inquiries regarding staying over
here are advised not to- Instead of
our passenger traffic growing, under
these conditions, it is not only not
going to grow, but it is going to de-
crease. Under these circumstances, if
we can have temporary boats, we can
advertise that those who come to Ho-
nolulu to visit can get away on any
steamers they choose. Then we will
have a great influx of tourists and
every tourist we can get here is a
great advertisement for Hawaii-he is
a walking advertisement paying his
own expenses.
"We will have the subsidized steam
ships then working up a business for
the new American steamships that viii
be built for the increased traffic that
will become theirs automatically as soon
as they are able to handle it. These
foreign steamers will build up bust.
ness for us which does not now exist.
and in working for this suspension of
the coastwise laws we are thus work
ing directly for the benefit of American
shipping
Mr.. Thurston stated that he and Mr..
Shingle had presented this phase of the
| matter to various steamship men on the
Coast some time ago. The general man.
| ageF of the American-Hawaiian com.
pany had agreed not to oppose the Ku-
| hio bill if the matter of perishable
| freight be left out of the bill: Mr.
Sehwerin had also agreed not to op
| pose it; Captain Matson so agreed: the
only one who said he would fight the
bill was John D. Spreckels, and he has
been fighting it tooth and nail evel
since.
81 do not know what has caused
Captain Matson to change his mine
about this NATTER continued Mr.
Thurston, but | want to emphaticalIy
disagree with the idea that in this mat
ter we are opposing the Matson Naviga
ton company. For myself, I glory il
Captain Matson. who by his own wortl
and energy has grown to what he is
a power among the shipping men o.
he Pacific. | remember him whel
twenty years ago he came to these wa
tiers as the captain of schooner, anC
have known him since. when h
changed his schooner for a brig. tn
brig for ship, the ship for fee
and then for steamship, buying al
old transport and putting her in tn
Hawaiian trade. Now he is recognize
as leader in the shipping trade o
: this part of the Atlantic and T heliev
that he will eventually dominate i
TINS trade. We will help make bushes
for Captain Matson and on the cuisines
: We will have I expect to see Captai
MaSon here some day with his ow