The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-12-21
Rates To Islands
May Be Regulated
BY Shipping Body
Wilson Expected To Recommend
Board With Supervision Over
Steamship Lines

l'elHlIb OF InP pans OF inc AGmlHIS'
tration for n shipping hill to be urged
for passage at tins session OF congress
have been received here by mail snip
plementing former Associated Press
despatch to The Advertiser.
Resembles CONNER Commission
President Wilson Is expected 70
recommend TO congress, in Connect ION
with the new ship purchase bill, TINT
power be vested in the proposed ship
ping board TO regulate the rates and
mactises Of all steamship lines plying
TO and from American ports, in mich
the same manner ns the railroads nre
now regulated by the Interstate Com.
mcrce Commission. This would affect
every American line to Hawaii
Plans for the new legislation pro.
pose that the shipping board shall con.
sist OF the secretary of the navy, the
secretary of commerce and three ship.
ping commissioners.
The rate-making power to be asked
for will cover the rates Of foreign A.
well as domestic steamship lines and
apply to shipments which orig nate in
foreign countries hut are destined to
points in the United States. Advisers
of the President are convinced that
such legisktion would be constitutional.
Investigating Ocean Rates
The interstate commerce commission
has been investigating ocean freight
rates at the suggestion of the Presi,
dent, and 1t is understood to have col
lected much information which will b
used in the expected fight over the ship
purchase measure
Some Of this information is said to
reveal close relations between rail car
riers in the United States and transat
lantie steamship companies, particular.
lv in matters connected with through
freight shipments from interior points
TO foreign ports. If power is granted
to the shipping board to prescribe reas
enable rates for steamship traffic, it
probably would include the power to
fix, possibly in conjunction with the In.
terstate Commerce Commission, Joint
through rates from the interior to ports
in other countries.
Connections Advertised
Close connections between steamship
and RAILROAD lines are of common
knowledge. For example, the Togo,
Risen KRisha and the Western Pacific
are trade allies; the Pacific Mail and
the Southern Pacific virtually were one
corporation; the Hill liners Minnesota
and Dakota were feeders for the Great
Northern; the OSAKA Shosen Kaisha
operates its transpacifc steamers TO
Seattle in connection with the st. Paul
line, the Chicago. Milwaukee and Puget
Sound railway, the western extension
of the Chicago, Milwaukee and st.
Paul; and the Nippon Yusen Kaisha,
is associated with the Great Northern,
Northern Pacific and Chicago, Milwau.
kee and Puget Sound. o.,
These arrangements are advertised
Eubliely.
Thurman Drafting Bill
After a series of conferences with
Secretary of the Treasury McAdOo, As
sistant Secretary of Commerce Sweet
and other officials, Secretary of Com
merce Redfield has instrurted Solicitor
Thurman of his department to draft
rev ship bill.
alt is our purpose 70 transmit copies
of the bill to the chairman of the sen.
ate committee on commerce and the
house committee on merchant marine
and fisheries" said Secretary RedReld.
''The bill is intended to be suggestive
.Gnlv and not TO be final 1t Is designed
to be the anvil on which Congress may
strike in perferting a new shipping
bill. -
The bill which is being drafted will
provide for the creation of a board
of six members, of which the srcre
tary of the navy will be cx Oilicio
members. The board will have hroud
powers. Secretary Redfield said the
ill was designed primarily to help to
build up the American merchant ma
rinP, rather than to furnish auxiliary
ships for the navy. He added that
ships acquired under the proposed law
would be available for service as naval
auxilliaries in the event of war