The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-01-13
ARE
CR0WDING OUT
PACIFIC MAIL

'-'" - 4 70 t9chNt Ilu Wheu the vice
president and general manager of the
Pacific Mail company says as he does
on every possible occasion, that Il Is
only matter Of time before the Japa.
nese will drive the Pacific Mali ships
out of tie transpacifc trade.
In the matter of responsibility. how
ever. Marsh and Schwerin do not agree.
Schwerin blames Uncle Sam, the Amer
lean public, the press, Bates & Cheese
brough or any old cause that happens
to fit his particular mood. Marsh places
all the blame on schwerin and the Pa.
eific Mail.
Marsh, whose business has kept him
for many years in close touch with
Japan, has crossed the Pacific for the
thirty-ninth time. All of his travelling
has been out of this port. He has
crossed ON the old o. and o. liners
which, under the management of the
late D. ID. Stubs, were famous the
world over; on the japanese liners and
ON the ships of the Pacific Mail com
pany. Schwerin was recently sent to
the Orient to find out what was the
matter with the Pacific Mail company.
Marsh could have saved the directors
the expense of that trip. Marsh, with
his thirty-nine crossings on his con
science, would have no difficulty in
qualifying as an expert on transpacifc
travel. Here's what he has to say
about it:
oficers Restricted.
"My last voyage seemed the longest
and was the most tiresome of any I
ever undertook. In the old DAYS no
restrictions were placed on the ship 8
officers who did everything they could
in their spare time to help make the
passengers enjoy their trip. Today
there is no sociability whatsoever on
Pacific Mail steamers The passenger
is bound down by so many rules and
regulations of the steamship company
that he is afraid to call his soul his
own. The Pacific Mail company makes
absolutely no provision for the enter.
tainment of its passengers and will not
allow the ships officers to do anything
in this direction. Should an officer en-
deavor to popularize his ship by aiding
in the entertainment of the passengers
that officer can safely count on dis
charge or removal as soon as the ship
reaches port.
fThe Pacific Mail has no use for
broadminded men in their ships. If
they get such they soon reduce them to
mere automatons, as the belief seems
to prevail that the officials in port can
do the popularizing from behind their
desks and that the assistance of the
men who come in contact with the pas,
sengers is not needed.
"How different with the Japanese
line. Every position, high or low, that
the Japanese have to fill bv Americans
or Europeans on their ships is filed
by men picked for their intelligence.
These men are selected with care and
given free rein, as the Japanese well
know that maxine a ship popular with
the travelling public rests largely with
the ships officers and not with the
bosses and clerks in the port Offices.
Japanese Misunderstood.
"The Pacific Mail is bowling for a
subsidy. A subsidy is not going to
make their ships popular with the tray
cling public. The Japanese are going
to beat them out, and the Pacific Mail
people have nobody to blame bat them
selves. The japanese line would never
have reached its present position but
for the Pacific Mails disregard of the
favor of the travelling public and Hunt
ington's lack of knowledge of the Jap
anese character and ability. When the
japanese first came into the field
! Huntington tied them up with his lines
in such way that competition was
stifled and the Jap assured of the short
end of the deal. He had every conf
dence in his ability to prevent the Jap.
anese from making money, and expect
ed them soon to tire of running at a
loss, and quit.
"He did not know, however, that he
was playing right into the hands of
the Asiatics. The Japanese realized
when they started their line that, by
themselves, they could never win the
confidence of the travelling public As
the partners, however, of the Pacific
Mail company they were assured OF
some recognition and. at least, the
overflow of travel from the old estab
lished line. With this as a starter they
went to work to make their ships popu.
lar, and they did it largely through
the European officers on their ships
They are now strong enough to go il
alone. They will be clear of then
Pacific Mail bargain in few DAYS. ana
if the Pacific Mail company does moi
wake up the positions win be reversed
and it will be the Pacific Mail company
that will get the overflow from th,
japanese ships, -
Schwerin Learns.
Sehwerin could sympathize will
Marsh if he would He. too, ran N
against the Pacific Mail company !,
choice array of rules and regulation,
for the suppression of good cheer
There was a difference. however. Marsl
had to grin and bear it. Schwerin re
voked the regulation.
A fellow passenger with Schwerin on
his recent voyage to the Orient de
scribes the general manager 5 first en-
counter with his own rules. Shortl,
before dinner time on the first dav out
! the viee-president invited few friend,
to his suite to join him in a cocktail
Arrived at the room. Schwerin ranr
for a hoy, a whterobed celestial ap
peared.