Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-14
coAsTWIsE SHIPPING.
Honolulu, JanuaTx. 13,

Editor Honolulu Star Biilelf!R,f
Sir: Maxim, in your issue OF Jan
uary 18th. has views OF his own on
| our eoastwise shipping laws. and
| seems to deplore the fact that he does
1 rot agree with X.Y.Z. Maxim calls
him or her to account for 5presuming
to speak for others and: advises that
| he or she should speak only for him.
self or herself. If no one agrees with
| with N.Y.. we must all agree with
Maxim, and OF course he speaks, for
us all-everybody> else should listen
and all the world must le1,I its ears.
The matter of our coastwise laws
has frequently been discussed in Ho-
nolulu and elsewhere, and the repeal
of some or all Of the provisions OF
| these laws has been advocated by
very responsible and thoughtful peo-
PIE. Honest discussion will bring out
the fact that laws restricting trade
are bad. and when our shipping laws
prohibit the inhabitants of our coun-
try accepting the services of ship
pers who are rett'y. able and anxious
to do our shipping our government,
in enforcing such laws is doing in
times of peace what our enemies
would try hard to do in times of war,
that is, blockade our ports. Why
should preparations be made to defend
our coasts and shipping with armies
and rlayies If trade will ruin US? To
be at war woutl be more desirable;
our shipping would be destroyed and
then we would have ideal protection:
foreign competition would be elm.
mated; increased demand for home
production by home buyers would be
a reality; American labor wou,l find
lots of employment; weiWonld be bot
tied up by the enemyt If trade is
good only when carried on in Ameri-
can ships how will the products of
Industry be any worse To- the buyer if
he receives them in foreign bottoms2
They are the same goods, his orders
have been filled and he IL, getting what
he ordered. Irsliyidar3s, not eoun-
tries, trade Laws intehded to foster
a merchant Marine tax all other in
dustry and We all must suffer for the
benefit of few whos We're resource
full enough to tmfslead our legislators
into framing .laWs4tEat gestFfct trade
and stifial real prosperity !
If Americans cannot enter the mer-
chant marine without fayoritism be-
ing showa them lthess o6eAt to be men
enough TO stay out tandrdo something
else There are thousands of better
ortunitfesi for Americans than go-'
ing to sea- as employees sUL,Ier fair
shipping conditions. the money We
now have to spend to bolster up an
Improbable merchant marine would
be put to profitable uses at home, and
American labor would not be put To-
the Inconvenience Of looking for Jobs
at sea. Sulely.it is Mt tlse intfntion
Of our snaviga3ioR lays TO foster an
American merchant marine Just to
give few sailors jobs! Of course,
under absolute free trade our Ameri-
can ships and shippers would prac-
tically swarm the seas with commerce
under the American flag as they did
before the Civil War, but as block
adC.l ports drove our commerce from
the seas and the policy of ''protec-
ton" has kept it off, it is doubtless
reasonable to believe that opposite
causes will have opposite effects and
that open ports and free trade will
again make US an important factor in
the commerce Of the world. |
Maxim appears to be anxious about
tile salaries of the japanese employees
on plantations, but observation shows
that they are we'll able to take care
of themselves, that they are self-re-
liant, and that they are not squealing.
Perhaps Maxim presumed a lite
when he spoke for the japanese: Max.
i'm should know that. we are all pro
ducers+, Every purchaser is pro
Queer. The owner ora gold watch is
as much a producer of gold as the
miner in Colorado, the man who pays
for loaf of bread is as much a pro-
Queer Of wheat as the farmer who
planted and harvested it, and as much
( producer of flour as the miller who
ground the wheat. All consumers are
producers Money is nothing more
than labor in reserve. am when plti-
rate consumers pay for their pur-
chases they are rendering labor for
the services rer''ered by the producer.
II the consumer earned the money he
paid. his money is nothing more than
& certificate of the labor he performed
OR the services he rendered, so Maxim
ray now be convinced that there are
TO nen-producers other than land
spectators.
He claims to have American blood
in his veins, ETC.. but if he is an Amer
lean born he ought to take no credit