The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-05-14

can get some KIND u water craft and
20 into any kind OF business he wants
10 between ports in the United States
We want them 10 he as free as water
TO make any Aind of rates they want
at any time: to do business with any
body without any notice or account.
ability to anybody for the rates they
make. TINS amendment prohibits that
freedom in Hawaii.
Mr.. Mann.-If this law is enforced
IN HaWau on lnterIs.and traffic. would
1t be possible for anybody to charter
boat to 60 from one island to another
for the purpose Of carrying passen-
gers, even for one trip3
Mr.. Stevens of Minnesota.-It wouId
not, unless he complied with all the re
iqulrements. In other words. all excur-
SION business IS practically prohibited
by the proposed amendment.
Mr.. Mann.-UnIess he filed schedule
thirty days in advance with the Inter
state Commerce Commission in Wash
ingtons
Mr.. ButIer.-How much time would
be required before you could have a
| special rates
Mr.. Stevens of Minnesota.-It would
be several weeks. In other words. YOU
could not get an excursion from one
island to another under the provisions
of the act and all little truck schoon-
ers carrying freight for another Will
| be prohibited.
Mr., Good,-The present law applies
to the railroads in the Territory of Ha-
waiii
Mr.. Stevens of Minnesota-Yes.
| Mr.. Good.-Then the same objections
| that the gentleman is making to this
provision certainly obtain as to the
railroads there.
Mr.. Mann-No; you can not run
railroad train over the ground, any
where you please.
| Mr.. Stevens of Mnnesota.-There is
| all the difference in the world between
rail transportation and water transpor-
tatlon. Congress has recognized that
| distinction for twenty-five years. and
nobody has ever seriously suggested up
to this time that water traffic be put
under the interstate commerce com
mission, for the reason that the oppor-
tunities for poor men to 90 into water
transportation do not exist as to rail
roads.
Mr.. Good supposed that the pur-
pose Of this bill was to give the widest
competition and to prevent monopoly
| but if | understood the gentleman 5 ar
gument the bill is to encourage
monopoly.
Mr.. Stevens of Minnesota.-Mr.
Chairman, | wish | could enlghten the
gentleman. But this is the proposition:
| The operation of this law is as to rail
roads. 1t is to regulate the natural
monopoly that they have and which we
can not take away but can only regu
late. This bill fastens an artificial
monopoly on the Hawaiian Islands
which does not now exist. Those rail
roads on the islands have a natural
monopoly. They ought to be regulated
and are properly regulated. The waters
there are free to everybody who has
500 or less, who can build a little
sloop and participate in the water
traffic 1t takes million dollars or
more, nobody knows how much, to en-
gage in rail traffic That should be
regulated, and is regulated
| Mr.. Dawson-Mr. Chairman, ! think
the House understands the condition of
affairs that prevails in the Territory
of Hawaii. The bill. as I understand it,
would affect the two small railroads
! that operate on two of the islands in
that Territory. As everybody under
stands, the railroads in the Territory
| of Hawaii are Of comparative unimpor-
tance in handling the business Of that
Territory. The Territory comprises five
| large islands. scattered about there in
| the sea, and the principal means of
| transportation is by boat from one is
| land to another IT seems to me that
| the benefits Of this bill ought to be car
| ried to the people of that Territory
out there in the middle of the Paci-
fic, and if they are to derive the
benefits Of this bill, then certainly
| the Interstate commerce commission
ought to have the right to regulate
the intersland water rates. as prac-
tically the only means of transporta-
ton they have there is by boats be-
tween the islands.
Mr.. kahn.-It frequently happens
that vessels 90 from the mainland to
Hawaii for one trip, and then 90 from
one island to another. and they have
no regular runs at all. Does not the
gentleman believe that if this amend
ment were adopted. it would prohibit
those vessels that make those occa-
sional trips from carrying passengers
between the island ports.
Mr.. DawsOn,-I do not think so |
think if You give the interstate com
merce commission power over those
rates, that power would certainly be
exercised with wisdom and discretion.