Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-08-15
PORTLAND OFF
ORIENTAL line

! NANCOCNER b. G., July 30.-After
j August l Portland. Ore. formerly one
CT the most important ports OF call for
. the Warehouse line freighters. will
h" of the map as far as Oriental trade
Is concerned. as that wei known
steamship company has announced
that as their contract expires on that
date, their service TO that port will
be discontinued.
, For some time the Waterhouse line.
has been operating under contract
with the Oregon-W ashington Railroad
and Navigation company, and al
though the steamship company claim
they have been losing money on this
run. they were compelled to live up
! To the agreements of. the contract.
Accommodation Required.
Efforts have been made on the part
o. Mr.. r. B. Miller, traffic manager
Of the o. w. r. & n. Co. and the
Portland Chamber of Commerce TO
secure vessels or charter steamers
which could maintain the service.
They declare, however, that freight
ers now being in such a demand on
this coast, it is altogether impossible
to secure them and operate this seTy-
! ice. without mourning a very heavy
loss.
Now the Chamber of Commerce has
appointed a special committee to in
vestigate the matter thoroughly, and
a canvass is being made among all
steamship companies, both American
and foreign TO see if another service
cannot be secured at reasonable
cost.
Threaten to Leave.
That the final Punishment of this
steamship line will injure Portland
commerce and trade is a foregone con-
ciusiop and various industries who de-
pend upon Oriental goods to manu-
facture this products, and who depend
upon local shipping service to reach
the eastern markets have expressed
the intention of removing their plant
and factories to some other city mann
tanning a direct service. They claim
that unless they make this move, they
could not ship their goods from Port
land to other cities with an Oriental
service without mourning a severe
financial loss.
Regarding this matter, Mr.. T. B. Will
cox, president Of the Portland Flour
ing Mills, who are recognized as GeIng
the heaviest shippers of -four to the
Orient, stated he had volunteered to
lead the west bound boats 70 their
capacity every trip, and that he, per-
sonally, did not see how the railroad
would run their service at loss.
To his knowledge, however, the
Nippon Yusen Kaisha, one of the fore
most Oriental liners operating to this
coast, he'd refused to establish a Pori-
land service, a sthey were already
acting under an agreement with the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul COM
ptny, running their steamers to Ia
coma and Seattle. The Dollar Steam
shin company of San Francisco also
had the proposal under consideration
but could not promise to operate a
regular service, as their vessels were
in great demand as tramps.
The only way now left upon to Port
land shippers, outside of sending the''
goods by rail to other ports for ship
ment, which would prove to be high
~ improbable in the main, is to rely
Oh tramp steamers and wind TANNERS
which would be. very irregular and
inefficient service.
Since 1895 Portland has enjoyed
an Oriental service said Mr.. Wilcox,
although at times it was not all that
could be expected. But during the
time it was in the hands of the o. r.
& n company large amount of cargo
was handled and a great many pa-sen-
gers of the steerage class carried. In
addition to the cargo that moved to
and from Portland, large lots were
delivered here from rail points in the
east and west, while the vessels
brought heavy consignments that NOV
Ell over the Hartman system to the
east.
That all changed when control OF
the Portland & Asiatic Steamship
passed to the Pacific Mail Steamship
company, the main marine body Of
the Hartman interests. Steerage bust
ness was given up as improbable. and
in time the transcontinental freight
that moved through Portland was cut
off for the benefit of the Pacific Mall
and San Francisco. In fact, previous
IT, the transfer of the charters of the
Norwegian steamers year ago to