Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-25
Chamber of Commerce Worked
for Reduction of Charges
to Shipping

Announcement in the Star-BuIletin
yesterday that water rates both to
shipping in the harbor and to indivi.
dual consumer in the city are to be
lowered, means that long and strenu-
Gus campaign on the part Of business
interests and the press has been sue
cessful, and that the beginning of a
steady reduction of water charges is in
sight
The harbor commissioners, the gov
ernor, the superintendent of public
works, the commercial bodies and the
newspapers have been advocating the
lowering of rates for many months.
It was announced by the governor yes
te rday that the rates will be material
ly reduced for ships beginning January
I and 1-cent per thousand gallons
reduction has already been made to
city consumers.
Superintendent OF Public Works
Campbell, who is also chairman of the
harbor commission, says that the in
stallation of the water meters is re-
sponsible for the ability of the water
works to cut its charges to consumers,
and believes that as more meters are
| Installed, the reduction can be con-
tinued. " <~.s +.
The long campaign for lower rates
is emphasized by correspondence OF
the chamber of commerce on the sub
ject. Below are published first "a let
ter from Davies & Co., agents for the
Canadian-Australian line, to the cham
Der of commerce, second "a letter from
Davies &. Co. to the harbor commits
sion land third the report of the har-
bofs, shipping and transportation COM
mittee of the chamber to the cham
ber's president and trustees, as long
ago as last March, wherein the eK-
crbitant charges were scored and the
rapid installation of meter system
advocated. ...-,-. - >,+
{ HONOLULU, T. H., Oct. %, 1912.
The President, The Chamber of Com
merce, Honolulu. :" ~ z ~
Dear Sir.-We beg leave to hand you
herewith copy of a letter which we
have addressed to the Harbor Com
miss toner's on the subject of water
rates charged to steamers visiting this
Port
On enquiry, we are informed that
Honolulu consumers are charged i.-i2c.
per 1000 gallons for their water. Most
vessels are charged an advance on this
price of 2.421s per 1000 gallons, or
$3.50 per 1000 gallons. We under.
stand that certain favored yes sells re-
ceive water at less than that figure,
but the charge is in general way
that which is made to all foreign yes
sells visiting this Port.
At a time when so much is said
about Honolulu becoming port q call
for vessels needing coal, water and
supplies, 1t does not seem inopportune
fer us to suggest to the Chamber of
Commerce that it shall use every eff
fort to have the harbor expenses fixed
on reasonable basis, so that the as
surance can be given to skipowners
that vessels can make use of this Port
without fear of having to pay 2bsurd
prices for either accommodation or
supplies. r.
If 1t is advertised that for the item
OF water alone $3.50 per 1000 gallons
is the charge, the natural inference
will be that all other items are equal
ly high, and Honolulu will not
be very popular ports for rtan-
sient steamers. There may be some
ports in the world, where vessels lie
off a long way from shore and have to
take their water from barges, when
the charge is high, but we do not
think there are any sucn ports where
the charge is equal to what it is IN
Honolulu; certainly there are no, so
called, civilized ports. where vessels
can go alongside the wharf, where the
charge for water is what is it in Ho-
nc lulu.
Trusting that this matter will re-
ceive the early attention Of your
Chamber,
We are, Sir,
Yours faithfully.
Theo. H. Davies & Co. Ltd.
F. NJ. SWANZY.