The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-01-30
MERCHANTS STILL
FOR SUSPENSION
Annual Meeting Of Association
Results in Reiteration Of
Former Stand.

expressing DeueI IN the desire OF thl
steamship companies operating to Ho
nolulu to give the city the best posi-
BILE service, the merchants association
at its annual meeting yesterday never
theless refused to change its stand il
regard to the suspension of the coast
wise shipping laws, which have the
effect Of barring foreign vessels from
carrying passengers between Honolulu
and the mainland.
A large majority carried the motion
Of @. @. Won Hamm to reiterate the as
sociation 3 desire for suspension Cd
the laws in regard to this port. The
only dissenting voice raised in debate
was that Of James Wakefield, who only
moved an amendment that any action
be deferred until the Pacific Mail com.
Pany could be heard from in regard to
/ its plans. This amendment was lost.
The matter came before the associa-
ton in the form of request from
Secretary Mcclellan of the Hawaiian
representation in congress, asking for
its attitude, the letter being the same
as that sent to the chamber of COM
merce. The latter body, upon consider
ing it several weeks ago, changed its
stand and voted to withdraw its sup
port of the suspension bill.
In talking for the motion, Mr.. Won
Hamm called attention to the fact that
the chamber of commerce was not in
terested in those matters which re-
ceived the most consideration from the
merchants association and that where
the other body was concerned chiefly
with sugar freights and so on, pas
senger travel was of much more i'm
portance to the merchants association.
Benefits Delayed.
Letters were read from Castle &
Cooke, agents for the Matson Naviga-
tion Company, and from G. Brewer &
Co., agents for the Oceanic line, de-
scribing plans for future service and
an increased number of steamers.
Mr.. Won Hamm argued that the
boats planned would not be in service
hardly before the Panama Canal open
ed in 1913 or 1915 and that by that
time the passenger traffic between the
Islands and Coast would be SO much
increased that Honolulu would be no
better off than it is now. Another argu-
ment he used, which was agreed in by
the other speakers, was that suspen-
sion of the coastwise laws as applied
to this Territory would greatly benefit
the American steamship companies
rather than otherwise, owing to its
effect in stimulating traffic.
Present Holdups.
Emil Berndt then spoke in support
of Mr.. Won Hamm and mentioned
incidents connected with the
inability of travellers to get bookings,
in which he was able to give number
of personal experiences.
"When w. r. Harrington, editor of
the Bulletin and the foremost cham
pion of the coastwise laws, returned
from the Coast short time ago." said
Mr.. Berndt, s'he told me of the diff
Guilty he had and his inability to get
a ship when it was almost absolutely
necessary for him to get back. He
said that hereafter he was inclined to
be the best booster for the suspension
Of the laws we had. / think II Mr..
harrington was here he would tell you
30 himself.''
Mr.. also mentioned man with whom
he had just had lunch and whom he had
just left, who is still in this city be-
cause he has been unable to get accom-
nodations on board outgoing steamers.
Charles R. Frazier also spoke in
favor of Mr.. Won Hamm s motion, call
ing attention to the time it would take
70 get the new steamers into operation
md on the futility of waiting.
He called attention to the lack of any
parallel between conditions here and on
sither the Atlantic or Pacific coasts of
The mainland and wound up by declar-
ing that no community on the main
and would stand for the conditions
that exist in this city.