The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-06-08
.GLUT Of TRAVEL
N0RSTA0nDLvLu
@EgERHASkNONN
Not a Berth TO Be Had To Main
land For Any Price Be-
tore August Is
.AUSPlCI0US MOMENT TO
RAISE R0UND-TRIP RATE
Wi a E,{FT7T-f- sl
Promotion Committee Thinks Cry
0fLight Bookings Is Thin
Subterfuge
(From satnraay Adverti.crl

kFTOHl HhIufuuy AuNtTllN'T-)
Never in the history of the Islands
has the glut in ocean travel been so
ac,itely serious as at this moment.
The Sierra goes ont today full from
stem TO stern. There isn't so much As
a settee to be had In her for love or
money. On her next trip,ga mouth from
now, things will be no better. Every
berth and lounge has been reserved 10
advance. rsi F..g
Matson Company Fun Up 4
The Matson Navigation Company Is
full up as far ahead as August IG, and
win accept no bookings this side of that
date. -,aE
The Pacific Mail treats Honolulu as
a way station and never has made any
reservations in advance. If ship
comes in with accommodation to spare,
they are on sale with Hackfeld & Co.,
and until the ship arrives there is no
telling whether she will be full or
empty. just now the Pacific Mail is
running chock.a. block. H
In other words, not person on these
Islands who is not fortunate enough
to have made reservations long in adj
vance can get to the mainland for the
next ten weeks at the earliest, no mat.
ter how urgent his occasion.
The situation came up for vigorous
discussion yesterday at the weekly
meeting of the Hawaii Promotion Com.
mittee. R3tes
oflcer Was 'Extortionate
One member imstanced the case of n
business man here who had been un.
able to obtain retutn passage to the
mainland and had offered one of the
ships officers $50 for his room, over
and above his passage money. The Off.
Ger demanded 800 and the disguised
passenger refused IL.
A. p. Taylor told of woman Of leis.
IRE who had come to the Islands for
rest. On her arrival she found she
would have great difficulty in obtain
ing return passage and became 30 wor.
ried over the situation that it com.
pletely ruined her stay She was so up,
set that she spent most of her time IN
her hotel and the promotion commit
tee rooms, not daring even to 90 for q
ride around the island, fearing that in
her absence she might miss an oppor
tunity to pick up a ticket somebody
else might surrender. /
Light Travel a Subterfuge ia
: "The Wilhelmina on her last triJ
down brought 107 passengers
, said Chairman Emil A. Berndt. 6"Witl
every berth and settec taken, her limi
capacity is 100, but inasmueh as tn,
Matson company will not separate hus
bands and wives in order to pack three
passengers into every stateroom, 10'
may be said to be a shipload. Bust
ness seems pretty good both ways"
cit looks, then commented u. A
Thurston, cas- if this raising Of tn
rates on the score of light travel was
pretty thin subterfugc.'
" Exactly" agreed chairman Berndt
with emphasis. "Travcl was light las
] winter, because of the war and do
nestle Uncertainties. We satisfied our
selves then that we should recoup thi
s summer. Now that the travel is her
and we ought to be benefiting by Il
the steamship companies are unable I
care for it,
Tourists Frightened Away -.
"Travelers simply will rot come t
the Islands If they don't know whe
they can get back ... -.. h..
"Of course, there are fluctuations 3
the tides Of travel. At this seas0
y the heaviest current is toward tn
/ Coast. In the fall and winter 1t flow
|. back again. ,l..ls
- "The problem is common to all tram
= portation companies. They have il o
! the Atlantic, just as they have 1t her
d And everywhere in the world, exceI
e between Honolulu and the Pacific C6as
IS they have found way to deal with It.
Companies Reaping Golden Harvest
a 'The steamship companies are real
is ing golden harvest, - added r
t. Towse. "They are carrying all Il
Is sugar they can handle, at good rate
y and we have just heard what the
passenger business u.s. There can be !
ID excuse for raising the rates at tin
~ like this except that passengers wi
le are forced to travel must pay"
1.-THE steamship offices must ado
4, some system like that used by thesPu
III man company" continued Charms
NJ Berndt, ''whercby statement of the
T. accommodations can he cabled ahea
n They could devise a skeleton code tn
err would cost them very little. 2, Z
ry The meeting broke up with all Il
ly committeeman determined to bring {