Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-22
coAsTwIsE SHIPPING
AND FREIGHT

coASTWIsE SHIPPING
AND FREIGHT
Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Sir: , It is interesting TO read the
discussions Of Y y. T.. Maxim and
Fair Play anent the cOastwise ship
ping laws, but there is one little mat
ter that none OF them has picked upon
in their discussions at the present
time, although it possibly at some time
in the past. has been freely dis used,
refer particularly to the govern
ment's violation OF it's own laws. Not
so very many months ago several
ships of English register called at
the port with coal from the eastern
states, this same coal to be used by
the government After inQuiring how
il came that the United States gov
eminent could ship coal from one part
CT the United States to the other in
foreign bottoms. | was Informed that,
at the time of the Spanish-American
war, American bottoms were hard to
get for this purpose, and an act of
Congress relieved Uncle Sam Of any
penalties for violations of his own
laws. Today. to my. notion, we have
an even more fragrant violations of
these same laws, under the parcel
post system While do not wish to
be placing myself in favoring the eX-
press mCnopOlies, it hardly seems fair
TO me that the government should be
allowed to ship packages in the Japa-
nese or other foreign liners and for
bidding the same privileges to the
Wells-Fargo, Adams, or any other ex-
press company. 1t seems to me that
the express companys money should
be just as good to these liners as
Uncle Sans money.
About three months ago l had the
extreme (?) pleasure of receiving mail
by a Japanese liner that arrived at
this port several hours after the ar
rival of an American bottom, both
vessels having left San Francisco at
approximately the same time. The
governments main reason as explain
ed to delegation of Honolulu bust
ness men for giving the mail to the
foreign bottom was that it was good
business, as it, meant a considerable
saving in postal payments. Now,
would like to ask if it is good business
for the American government to VIC.
late its owl 9aws and save it's money?
Why should it not give shippers be-
tween the mainland and Honolulu, or
in fact, between any two mainland
ports the same privilege of saving
money FOR themselves? AS we have
learned from our earliest childhood
that compefition is the life of trade,
why not give us competition? Is it
not competition when the Japanese
government subsidies it's liners to
take mail between two American ports
at a cheaper rate than the American
bottom can take it? If competition
were not allowed between mail car
riers. it is very likely, that all mail
would be shipped in American bot
toms to the adetriment,iof the port of
honolulu the, Oceanic and Matson
lines with an occasional American-Ha-
waiian liner and one or two of the
Pacific Mail boats being the only ones
allowed to carry mail, which at best.
would be very poor service. and Mr..
business man would arise in all his
fury and demand the wherefores and
why's. Why should these conditions
be allowed to obtain with the mail
service when express and freight can
rot come in under the same condi-
tons?
Maxim wants to, know if my beef
and mutton bills are any lower than
they were before tariff was removed
Oh meat. Most assuredly not. al
what is more they will go higher. but
why? Mr.. Producer in TIE far-off An
t1Dodes wants the difference between
what he formerly received and the
ten prevailing price for the same.
which constitutes the removed tariff.
Mr.. Freight Hauler, in the form of
the steamship trust anticipates the
tariff reduction and wants a fraction
of cent more for hauling. and Mr..
Retail Butcher in Honolulu, has been
so used to getting certain prices for
the meat he handles that he cannot
think of doing otherwise than acting
Oh still another fraction, TO show thai
the high cost of living has hit him so
hard that he has to add it. in order
to make both ends meet
Just so long as the American peo-
lie will allow the men of money to
accumulate millions more at the en-
rense of the worker. just so long will
the high cost of living continue to
agitate this country. 1t was pointed
out to me IN no uncertain terms re-
Gently that the sugar planters are
I the ones who are uphOlding these
islands by their money and influence.
| With the high protective tariff on su,