Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-19

an amendment OF the Coastwise Law
the members of the Chamber OF Com
n1erce yesterday afternoon brought Il
q close two and one-hah hours meet
ing with an overwhelming vote to La
the Waldron resolution on the tabl'
until such time as a committee of /:
members shall gain direct information
from the local American steamship
companies as 70 what those companie:
are able to do to relieve the present
conditions OF passenger congestion.
The motion to lay on the table was
made by L. Tenney Peck and second
ed by Robert w. Breckons. The vote
in its Aayor stood IS to 6.
Immediately following the passage
of the motion, Mr.. Peck introduced q
Substitute resolution which met the
unanimous consent of the chamber
The adopted resolution is as follows
Resolved, That a committee of Is
be appointed to take up with the Mat
BON Navigation Company, the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company. the Oceanic
Sfeemship Company and the Ameri.
can-Hawaiian Steamship Company the
question Of the alleged congestion OF
ltsenger traffic on ships plying be.
tween the mainland and these islands,
and report back as soon as convenient
10 this chamber as to such remedies
as may be offered"
Fireworks Failed.
From the moment when President
Nfaldron turned the chair over to Ed
ward !. Spalding and assumed the po-
sition Of chamber member In order
to present his resolution, there was a
feeling Of suppressed excitement in
the air. Not few persons present
anticipated hot and lively discus
sion. But when the letter from Lor-
rim A. Thurston, now on Hawaii, read
betpfe the chamber by Secretary Ray
Mohd c. Brown, was concluded with
OF one single not of applause, things
began to look doubtful for the Waid-
ron resolution.
Mr.. Waidroiiss entire resolution was
printed yesterday in the Star Bulletin.
Its important paragraph read as fol-
lows;
Commerce Of Honolulu respectfully pc
titions the Congress of the United
States to so amend the provisions of
Section Of said act OF June IS, 1856,
81 amended by the said act of Febru.
airy II, 1893, that the penalty there
IN imposed shall be fixed at SIS for
each first-class passenger so trans
ported and landed between American
Pacific coast ports and the Territory
Of Hawaii and $40 for each second
class, steerage or other passenger so
transported and landed"
Governor Pinkham took the floor
Immediately after the reading of the
letter from Mr.. Thurston. He held his
listeners In rapt attention and a vol
lef of continued applause followed him
when he ended his reading with a
plea for a broader. more rational and
patriotic, view of the situation than
views, with every probability that
they are obstructing the best future
interests of the islands.
Delegate Kuhio, who had come in
during the reading OF the letter, was
requested by the chair to say some
thing on the question, but answered
that as he had not been asked to be
present, he had rather not make any
speech at the time. i came to listen
to the others, so that may know
what to do hereafter" he said.
Frear Of Same Mind.
Chairman Spalding then called upon
former Governor w. F. Frear, who
said that he had taken sides on the
co6stwise question years previous by
working for Hawaii's exemption. Il
s. no reason why we should not make
such 3 request of Congress, said the
fbfmer governor. "for this is a special
hifden that we ask to be free from
4 Is not special privilege which We
arH after"
Nj. Frear was followed by F. w.
HIcbahn OF Hackfeld & Company Mr..
Klebahp took exception to the letter
from Mr.. Thurston, and especially TO
that part Of II which had declared that
fewer ships are now available than
before annexation.
s'.ft may be true" said Mr. Klebahn,
that fewer ships are available, but
Mr. Thurston knows as well as every
body else that the accommodations
are far more now than they we're at
that time. The statement is mislead-
1nBE
E. Faxon Bishop was then asked by
Chairman Spalding if he had anything
to say in the matter. Mr. Bishop was
slightly reticent in the beginning Of
his speech, but he waxed eloquent as
he continued
I'm spite of different arguments
which I have heard" said Mr.. Bishop,
II have not been able to lay aside
the principle of consistency, and do
not favor adopting this resolution
81 am sure that the relief which it
would bring would be very small and
OF every little consequence. Let us
not adopt this thing which seems
temporary help rather than perma-
nent cure"
A round of applause followed the
words, and Mr.. Bishop went on:
Are we going to continue to hold
out inducements for the building and
operation of American ships, or turn
over the whole thing to foreign ships
and thus kill forever future growth
under the American flag?
y IF two years ago" concluded Mr..