The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-03-30


which it said that meat was cheaper IN
Chefoo, China. than anywhere else.
Mr.. Mckinlay. The Ranger dld not
take in the A>iatic coast; it did not
90 into the Pacific at all.
Mr.. Kahn. AS a matter Of fact, the
Matson Navigation Company has just
about put the WilhelmIna on that run.
She is a vessel that was completed IN
December. went over to the Pacific
coast. and has accommodations for 100
passengers. She cost IN the neighbour
mood OF million dollars.
Mr.. Barchfeld. Where was she built?
Mr.. Kahn. At Newport News. cap
tain Matson, her owner, told ME that
if she proved as profitable as he hoped
she might, his company would undoubt-
eddy build another vessel. In addition
to that, the Spreckels line, as It has
been called here, the Oceanic Steam
ship Company, is now fitting ont one
of the three vessels that was spoken
of, the Sierra, at an expense of $780,
600, and she is about ready to go into
comm ssion to run between San Fran
cisco and Honolulu.
Mr.. Barchfeld. No farther2
Mr.. Kahn. No, sir. She viii make
this trip, and some statement has been
made here with reference to the attl-
tude of the Spreckels people IN not
having put their vessels on the Homo
lulu route. As a matter of fact, when
thew ceased running to the Antlpodes
one of the vessels did make several
trips to Honolulu in the expectation Of
making profitable voyages. They lost
more money than they had expected to
lose; in fact. it was anything but prot
liable, and therefore they discontinued
the vessel altogether. But now they
are going to try it again; they are
about ready to try il again. The Sierra
will probably start on her voyages
within the next few weeks.
Mr.. BarchfeId. What is the tonnage
of that vessel?
Mr.. Kahn. \ little over 5000; about
6200. The Matson vessels are all 5000
ton ships or over. The Wilhelmina, 1
think, is something like 1000.
Mr.. Mcclellan. [ beg the gentle
mans pardon, but he certainly will not
say that the Hilonian is a 6000tOn
vessel.
VI Mann. uIutlStOOu Sht "h7-
That was my recollection from Cap
tain Matson 5 statement.
Mr.. Mcclellan. The Hilonian is a
3000-t0n vessel.
Mr.. Kahn. | know, but the new YES
sells | am speaking of are all pretty
good sized vessels. With reference to
the matter of not getting the accommo-
dati0ns YOU want, there are many peo-
pie who want to go to Europe every
summer, and they can not get the ac-
commodations they want, and they
have to wait over q steamer or two or
wait until a subsequent sailing. | know
we on the Pacific coast who want to
come here to Washington sometimes
have to wait week before we can get
our Pullman-car accommodations. We
have to lay over because we can not
get the berths we want. For that rea
son we do not come to Congress and
want all the laws changed simply be
cause on a certain day we can not get
away. As a matter of fact. | am in
formed by the steamship people, and
think the practise is a very loose one.
and | think they are to blame for it,
that it frequently happens that they
have their passenger accommodations
taken by residents Of Hawaii. 4 prac-
tise prevails there. and has prevailed
at ali times, that the prospective pas
serger does not put up dollar of Tor
felt money when he takes any accom-
modations. They simply put in his
name, and then afterwards, when the
vessel is about to sail. they get their
cancellations, and that has happened
frequently there; the Honolulu people
have put down their names to sail, and
then, when the vessel is ready to go,
they have not gone.
Mr.. Humphrey. That happens every
where. does it not, Mr.. Kahn!
Mr.. Kahn. OF course it does
Mr.. kalanianaole. Ia Honolulu, in
booking, il passenger offered the
price OF a passage from Honolulu to
San Francisco, it would be refused by
the company.
Mr.. kahn. The money would be re
fused?
Mr.. Kalanianaole. Yes; they never
take money from a passenger when they
are booking, because they can not be
depended on to give YOU the passage.
So the fault is not on the people.
Mr.. Kahn. | said the steamship
company is to blame. l said that in
my remarks. But that is a fact, book
ngs are cancelled all the time, and
when the vessel thinks she has a full
list, she finds out She has not.
As J said before, the only line that
Is going TO be benefited by this legis-
lation ls'the japanese steamship com
pany. She will be permitted to carry
passengers between the mainland and
Honolulu. 1t Will give them one vessel
month more, that is all, and for that
privilege you are willing to take away
q part of the business OF the American
lines that pay these high wages. that
have their money invested. that have a
hard time OF it 10 get along as it is, and
/ apprehend that YOU are striking a.
blow against the building of more
ships. because 10 man wants to put his
money INTO AN Investment Of that kind
unless he Fam see his way clear to make
some money. and the statement that
Captain Ma,>on made TO Mr.. Nee lellan
is the best evidence OF it. He said he
d1d not want to put any more money
into the business until he knew how
such vessel was going to pay. But
he has so much confidence in it that he
told not iDnu --.4,Fn that ba +Lo,,,rb+