The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-08-10
Let Us Talk Sense

HOSTILE legislation threatens to maroon Ha-
III wa or at least so sever our connections
with the mainland that the many thousands we
have spent in advertising the Islands abroad are
in danger Of being worse than lost Three of the
very best liners those of the Pacific Mail are to
be withdrawn from the -transpachc service under
the American flag, liners which have brought
twenty-five hundred persons to Hawaii within the
past year, ships of such capacity and comfort as
to appeal particularly to wealthy travellers, seek
ing pleasure ,.,,
During the past three months, even with these
liners available there has been a serious conges-
ton in the passenger traHfS between this port and
San Francisco. Anyone able to add two and two
should be able to reason out that when the best
ships are gone and the available accommodation
for passengers between this port and the Coast is
reduced one-third the tourist travel"to and from
Hawaii will disappear, Esd
As it happens, Hawaii hats not depended upon
the transpacfc liners for tS freight transportation
For this Hawaii has built lip two of the best fleets
flying the American flag, the Americana Hawaiian
line of freighters and the %,Matson line, designed as
cargo carriers with frst-class passenger accommo-
dations on some of its vessels. SO far as the mat
ter of freights is concerned Hawaii is provided for
and freight carrying by the way, is the profitable
end Of the shipping business.
Ii is ridiculous to suppose that, with the pos
sible cargoes to and from Hawaii mainly con-
tracted for for years to come, any new ships will
be put IN the Hawaiian service to replace those
to be taken off within few weeks, were
there such ships to be secured anywhere. How
ever If there be any such steamships to be secured
and there be the least possibility that they will be
secured by the first of the year, Honolulu should
be put into possession of the facts without delay
-, he baS wi know
This is matter for the transportation companies
to attend to. They are tho ones principally con
cerned and they have had time to look around
since the Pacific Mail first announced its inten
tons some two months ago.
1t may be that the Great Northern Pacific
Steamship Company could be induced to put one
of il new lin on the That would help
lot and is worth working for
| The matter is much too important to Hawaii
however, to sit still under anything short of posi-
tive assurances that not to be left on thu
beach for the next year two. Every possible
step should be taken to secure from congress
a measure of relief and no other measure will NEE
the situation than a temporary suspension OF thos'
| provisions of the CoastwiSe Law which impose
prohibitve fine upon the use of foreign ship b,
traveller. r Every provision may be included 4
guard the rights OF the American ship owner
present and prospective, and the suspension may
| be only for such tine there are not American
steamers available for the passenger traffic offer
ing.
The question of patriotism is not involved ii
| the matter of Hawas move for self-protec
ton from serious loss and inconvenience. If it b
not unpatriotc for a New Yorker to travel on
foreign ship to reach his destination, it is not un
patriotic for Honolulan to do the same, If
be allowable to sail west foreign liner it
not unpatriotc to sail east the same liner
seems rather difficult to see that boarding tn
Mauchuria in December next, provided she call
here under the Japanese the Chinese flag,
going TO be an injury to the American merchan
marine any more than would be the case in board
ing her last week, when she sailed from San Fran