The San Francisco call., 1910-01-04
Defend COASTWISF
SHIPPING LAW
Ship Owners Point to Facts in
Reply to Attack on Statute
in Honolulu
Show Supply Of Transportation
Is Much Greater Than De-
nland: Boon to Hawaii

Inc people of Honolulu are ma King
efforts to induce congress to suspend
the coastwise shipping law in so far as
1t prohibits the carrying of passengers
between Honolulu and the mainland oy
other than American ships. Local rep
resentatives OF the American lines that
would suffer if the law was suspended
say that there is little fear that con-
gress will grant the request, which
they think comes with poor grace from
community whose present Importance,
they say, is one of the results of the
operation of this very law. If 1t We're
not for the protection afforded by TINS
law, say the ship owners, the present
excellent service which is about TO pc
enlarged could never have been de-
veloped and could not be maintained
That an casional tourist is incon-
venienced by the law which preserves
this trade to ships flying the Ameri-
can flag is admitted, but the records
do not show that anybody has been
kept either on the mainland or at
Honolulu because of the crowded con-
dition of the American ships on the
line. 1t is true, admit ship owners,
that travellers who have postponed Sc
curing berths until the last minute
have usually been unable TO get the
pick of the staterooms. but this has
not been nearly so much the case as in
the matter, for instance, of securing
Pullman accommodations between here
and Los Angeles.
The records for two years of the
companies operating steamers on the
Honolulu run show from four to seven
steamers each way every month. The
records show further that there were
many vacant berths on nearly every
steamer. A statement has been pre-
pared of the unoccupied space on
steamers on the Honolulu run between
July /, 1907, and July 2, 1909 which,
in the opinion of the ship owners, more
than answers every argument so far
put forward in favor of suspending the
coastwise shipping law.
WILL INCREASE FLEET
Within a couple of months there will
be on the run in addition to the pres
ent fleet the Sierra, Wilhelmina, Ne
vadan and Honoluluan.
Taking October as an average month
in 1908 the statement shows that the
Hilonian left Honolulu October with
1s vacant berths. The Alameda sailed
October with 95 vacant berths; the
Lurline. October 10. with 2S; the ST.
IBERIA, October II, with 95; the China
October Il, with 120; the Manchuria
October 90, with 203, and the Alameda,
October IS, with 95 berths.
In the same month, from San Fran
cisco to Honolulu, the Korea sailed
with 9 empty berths, the Alameda with
So, the Lurline with % and the Siberia
with 13.
The local ship owners point out that
the coastwise shipping law Is the only
protection afforded American shipping
by the United States government. To
set it aside between here and Honolulu
would mean the laying up of more
American ships now on the run than
the number of foreign ships it would
attract to the trade, as the Honolulu
agitators would limit the suspension to
the carrying of passengers only. Then.
say the ship owners, Honolulu would
have real grievance. as the number
of ships in the service would thus be
decreased.
PROTECTION VITAL NECESSITY
The Pacific Coast steamship company
would not last six months without this
protection. Lack of such protection
compelled the Oceanic company to
withdraw it's ships from the Australian
trade and furnished to the world the
sad spectacle of three big. modern,
American built. owned and manned
passenger steamers laid up with moth
ing to do, while little Japan was build
ing and putting into commission great
t0rDlne liners, 1urnlSne0 ike palaces,
and able, by virtue of the financial pro-
lection afforded by the japanese gov
ernment. to operate for returns that
would not meet the payroll of an Amer
lean ship.
The Pacific Mail company enjoys an
indirect subsidy in the fact that it is
allowed TO man it's oriental liners with
Asiatic crews and for the last two
years, az the result of the Chinese
Japanese boycott has enjoyed a prac-
tical monopoly of the Chinese freight
and passenger trade. But for these
helps and it's railroad connections the
Pacific Mail company would be at the
mercy of its Japanese rivals, and the
offer to buy his ships. made to Harri-
man by President Asano of the Toyo
Kisen Kaisha, would have been ac-
cepted long ago.
The local ship owner, tired of buying
ships in protected yards and then fight
ing for business in free market
against the subsidized merchantmen of
other nations. feels that the people of
Honolulu behind this agitation should
be willing even to make sacrifice to
help the dying glory OF the American
merchant marine. The facts. however,
show that the supply of American
transportation between here and the
islands is yet greatly in excess of the
demand for It.