The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-17

ence to the water transportation of Ha-
wall Many members Of this house
have been in Hawaii and are much bet
ter able to form proper Judgment in |
reference to this than / am. I simply /
call the attention of the houss to the
proposition, and hope that they win
give marked attention to the gentleman
from Iowa when he gives the reasons
for this.
Mr.. Good-Tbe chairman Of the com.
mittee has correctly stated the object
and purpose of this amendment. It is
to extend the provisions Of this act 80
that the interstate commerce commits.
sion shall have control of the regulation
Of the water transportation in the Ter
ritory of Hawaii. And / might add
that the water transportation in the
Territory of Hawaii is no farther re-
moved from the interstate commerce
commission than is the transportation
by railroad in the Territory of Hawaii,
and that transportation is by the pres
emit law under the control and regula-
ton Of the interstate commerce commits
sion. The operation of the Interstate
commerce commission, so far as rate
regulation in said Territory is con
cerned has been so perfect that the
transportation by railroads is. as low
there as it is in any State of the Union
The railroads receive but two cents a
mile for carrying passengers. The
great bulk of the transportation in the
| Territory, however, is by water from
one island to another. There is but one
company engaged in that transporta-
ton, and while, as / said before, the
charge for transportation by railroads
in that Territory is but two cents a
mile, the charge for transportation by
water between the various islands is in
excess of twelve cents per mile.
This excessive fare is charged by the
steamship company is because of the
| fact that there is no regulation at all.
There is but one company engaged in
carrying all the interisland transporta-
ton, and it has virtually a monopoly.
1t charges all the traffic will stand, and
it will stand all the company desires
to charge. Because Of the isolated con-
dition of the islands considerable trav-
cling is necessary, and there is but one
company engaged in this business
Hence they are charging from twelve
to fifteen cents per mile for transporta-
ton for each person. The freight
| charges from Honolulu to Hilo, q dis
lance of about 125 miles, are the same
as are the freight charges from Homo
lulu to San Francisco, a distance Of
| 2100 miles. Somebody ought to regu-
late the fares and charges charged by
this steamship company.
Mr.. Kahn-Is the gentleman aware
that this bill specifically exempts from
its provisions the port-to,port carrying
business of vessels of this country7
Mr.. Good am; and that is the rea-
son 1 have suggested this amendment
because Of the fact that the condition
prevailing in the Territory of Hawaii
do not prevail anywhere else in this
country. There is no other place in the
United States where we have trans
portation by water but that there is
competition. There is no competition
there; and therefore it seems to me that
this exception ought to be made.
Mr.. Kahn-Does not the gentleman
believe that the reason why there is no
competition from port to port there is
because the business does not war
rant it7
Mr. Good-If the gentleman will in.
vestigate the affairs of the Inter Island
Steamship Company no will find that ii
has been earning about forty per cent
per annum on the value of its equip
not enough business there to make the
enterprise profitable one.
Mr.. Kahn--If it is so profitable q
business, why do not companies organ
ize and go there and compete for the
business2
Mr.. Good do not know.
Mr.. Kahn-American capital is al
ways ready to invest where there is
an opportunity to make money; and il
there is so great an opportunity, why
are there no other companies there anC
: why is there only one company7
Mr.. Good do not know, unless il
be that this Inter-Island Steamship
Company owns all wharves and landing
places.
Mr.. Candler-Mr. Chairman, I want
: to be recognized in my own right.
just want to say word in reference
to this amendment offered by the gen
tleman from Iowa. There is no ques
tion in my mind but what the amend
ment should be adopted. The reasonl
given by the gentleman are absolutely
correct and true. There is only ONT
company that is operating between
these islands in Hawaii. Some of thos,
islands are $50 miles apart; and Al
shown by the report to which the gen
tleman has referred, it is a very profit
able business in which this one com
pany is engaged. Consequently, d.
i not know why somebody else has no
i engaged in that business. But this com
! pany absolutely controls the situation
and conditions throughout all of tn
islands. They charge as much to carr!
some kinds of freight from one islam
to another island and from one side o
9 the island of Oahu, on which Honolulu
is situated, around to the other side o
!, the island as other transportation com
panies charge from San Francisco t.
o Honolulu, distance Of 2150 miles
Some of the citizens of Honolulu toll
n me so when / was there myself.
t Mr. Campbell-Does the gentlemai
from Mississippi know of any reasol
why the territorial legislature of Ha
wall can not regulate the rate OF thi
interisland transportation companyf
Mr.. Candler-Well, am not prepare
20 say whether they can or not; bu
do know that congress has the, RICH
| IN raUnlata n and aauUraaa ouUht 4