The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-06-10
Development Is Inevitable.

the rapid development of this Territory
now in progress
Development Is Inevitable.
The speaker then gave a brief resume
of the development of the commerce
and steamship business of the Terri
tory, from the early 70s, when one tub
of a steamer was run by the govern
ment at an annual loss and while all
the sugar was shipped via Honolulu.
where all exports and imports were also
made. Development in transportation
rapidly followed The Reciprocity Treaty
and Honolulu prOspered. When Kahu-
lui began to ship sugar direct to the
Coast and to import for itself. the
steamship owners, then operating there
thought they were ruined. and Homo
lulu business men thought they would
lose business But the result was that
Maui 50 prospered that the steamers
did more business than ever, and Homo
lulu had a better customer than be-
fore.
Development at Hilo.
The same story is true of Hilo. All
the Hlo and Hamakua sugar used to
come to Honolulu at high rates Now
1t - htdIIF an SAl 'tCb ulIttI ct low
rates. while Hilo imports more mer-
chandse than Honolulu did twenty
FIVE wears ago; but Honolulu s business
with II,lo has Increased many fold,
while the Inter-I Island company is MAX
ing more money than ever before in
its history, and has had to put on the
splendid steamer Mauna Kea.
More Bouquets for Inter Island.
"Bv the way, I want to further ex
press my appreciation of the progress
sive enterprise of the Tnter-Island com
pany. They have put on a steamer
that. to my notion, is as comfortable
as the Mongolia and, if any of you
have not yet sailed on the Mauna Kea.
You have a treat in store I Will tell
YOU something further Illustrating the
liberal spirit of the InterIsland.
"In 1890, I organized the Volcano
House Company and erected the main
hotel. taking the place of six-room
house. The InterTsland took stock in
the company. 1t did not pay expenses
and for seventeen years the Inter
Island company contributed from six
to ten dollars out of every volcano
ticket to help keep that company on
its feet for the benefit of this commu
nifty. It was only three years ago
when the Volcano House Company got
on its feet that the Tnter-Island com
panv discontinued paying this subsidy
to the Volcano company.
Immense Possibilities of Hawaii
"The reason why I claim that the
interests of the Hilo Railroad and the |
1nter-Tsland company are not hostile to !
each other. but supplementary one of
the other, is that the internal resources |
of the Island of Hawaii have not been |
more than scratched. These resources |
can only be reached and developed by |
railroads. It costs twice as much now
to get produce from the interior of |
Hawaii to the Coast as it does to bring
the same article from San Francisco to
Honolulu. and the rate from Hawaii |
to Honolulu is as high as from San i
Francisco.
"There is ten times as much I'M
developed land on Hawaii as on all the !
other islands put together. The great |
Waimea plain contains 10000 acres of |
the finest agricultural land now used |
for herds cattle. IT is all capable Of
being developed as agricultural land !
Hawaii all of which will continue to
be undeveloped unless they are opened .
up by railroads. Steamers can not do .
it. Railroads can and must. Incident |
ally the railroad will take away some
of the business which the InterIslant .
Is now doing along the coast, but like |
the opening of Kahului. and Hilo and |
the other island ports to direct ship. |
mo mt - viii lly- opH 7 ha1iay-n /
speedily. SO increase the general bust |
ness of Hawaii that the Inter-Tsland !
viii do a greater business than ever /
We do not realize what it viii mean |
to this business community to have Ha- !
waii developed and furnishing the i'm /
mense amount of produce that is now /
imported from abroad.
Railroad, Steamer and Public Interests !
Are Identical.
'Such development will be equally
beneficial to the railroad, the Inter |
Island and the general public.
81 expect to have more to do with |
the active management of the Hil0 /
Railroad in the near future than I have !
in the past, and I shall study the ques-
ton Of how the railroad can best assist |
in the developing of the island
''The only real, ultimate difference |
that | can possibly foresee between the |
two companies is one of policy, as to
whether rates should be kept high or
reduced to such a scale that they viii |
create business. | shall be glad to take |
up with the InterIsIand the problem
of giving a through rate from the in
terror of Hawaii to Honolulu at low
enough figure to enable the producer to
compete successfully with producers
across the Pacific
Whether the Inter-Tsland Will agree
in this policy / do not know.
The Public Viewpoint.
$50 much for the relations of the
inter-ls)and 'and the Hilo Railroad.
There remains to lie considered |
what the public interest in this qucs-
ton is.
1T is proposed to extend the juris-
dictlon Of the interstate commerce com
mission to include the water transporta-
uon companies. 1t was extended to the
island railroads several wears ago. This
is objected to by the Inter-Island com
pany.
"Why do they object2 What ills
viii they suffer! What Disadvantages