The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-08-20
freight rates and the rapidity and reg
ularity Of service2 ..t-s

lEOABhb ENbOo anu bAAb IdPAulty anu LOk-
ularity Of service7 ..'-5 Y.
Answers. Freight rates, rap
idity and regularity of service are
dependent on competition, and the
withdrawal of line of steamers
would naturally result in higher
freight rates and poor service, un- .
less the steamships withdrawn were
replaced by others.
2. The withdrawal of American
steamers win result in higher
freight rates and less frequent sail
ings, to the detfiment Of Pacific
Coast shippers. e..
3. If American steamers are
withdrawn from transpacifc routes,
undoubtedly freight rates will ad.
vance and the service we may ex!
pect will be that which suits the.
steamship companies best, ire -
spective Of shippers requirements.
q B.--If transportation across the Pa
cific Is dependent entirely upon for
eign lines, what viii be the opportuni.
ties for American exporters to obtain
Oriental trade when, In soliciting such
trado, they are In competition with for.
eign firms; In other words, will the
American exporter be able to obtain
satisfactory transportation service foI
his goods2 ~, -.
Answers--1. Unless the control
ing interests in foreign lines were
also exporters of merchandise to
the Orient, transportation services
for American goods would not be
affected. In other words, If there
is an export business to be done,
transportation is quite as likely to
be furnished by Foreign lines as
American.
2. As we have to depend large
ly on Japanese owned steamers,
they win discriminate in favor Of
freight to and from Japan and thus
make shipments TO Chinese and
other ports more difficult.
3. If transportation across the
Pacific is dependent entirely upon
foreign lines, the foreign countries
whose lines are thus operating will
have every advantage in trade.
The policy Of this country might
be compared to a department store
which left the delivery Of all goods
IL sold to the delivery system Of its
largest competitor
Questions @ and ID referred specific
ally to the effect Of the withdrawal o
the Pacific Mail on the port Of Sal
Francisco and are not Of especial in
terest here, & E.-1
EDO you see any hope for Amer
lean ships on the transpacific run !
compelled TO operate under the prov
sions Of the seamsn,s Act and In com
petition with heavily subsidized steam
ers considering that the Japanes
steamers, at least, are not financial,
affected by the requirements Of tina
Act being already manned with on
GERS and crews all speaking commo'
language7 f'4. ~ n ''5-
Answers. 30 far as we are
informed we do not believe Am
erican ships can operate protitably
on transpaeiie routes under the
provisions of the Seamen Act.
2. As the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company has announced their
inability to continue their line to
the Orient owing TO the provisions
Of the Seamen = Act, we do not see
any encouragement for any other
American shipowners to enter this
service. We believe that the ef-
fects of this Act will be. particu.
larry detrimental to the commerce
OF the Pacific Coast with Asiatic
countries and without accomplish.
ing the effect which was intended
by those who were instrumental in
having this Act passed.
3. We can see absolutely no
hope for American ships on the
transpacifc routes, compelled to
operate under the provisions of the
Seamen's Act. 1t would just be as
impossible for these lines to con.
time to operate as it would be for
American factories to operate in
competition with the cheap labor
of the Orient and India without
J adequate protection.