The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-08-06
H. HACKFELD & COMPANY, LTD.

the Canadian. Australasian service, sup.
piled by the steamers Makura and Ma
CARA. -r D.. So s
There also is one army transport ar
rival per month, but that can carry
only army, navy or government officials
or employees y
Tails Are Less Affected
The situation with regard to mails
will not be quite so acute because two
T. X. X. steamers arrive each month
going to and from the mainland and
may carry mail But because they are
foreign registered ships they are pro-
hibited> by the coastwise shIi ping law
from carrying any except through pas
sengers between this point and the
coast.
There is strong agitation already
looking to the repeal of the Seaman 8
Act. One of the important provi-
sions of the statute requires at least
| rs per cent of the members of every
ships crew TO be able to understand
the orders of the hip y Noffic6rs. : -
Unless the rule can be complied with
the ship will not be granted clearance
| from an American port. The provision
1
! istry takes effect November 2, but its
effect on vessels of foreign registry
will not become applicable until March
1916. Il, ".r
This bits the Pacific Mail hard and
effect whatever on the Togo Kisen
! Kaisha line.
Pacific Mail Cannot Compete
The Pacific Mail employs Chinese
coolie crews, with American officers;
the T. X. X. uses Japanese officers and
crews, The intent of. the law of course
1 was to require the use of American
seamen on American vessels.
The Pacific Mail says it cannot com.
pete with the other lines which can use
| the cheaps Oriental labor, If it is not
permitted also to use cheap labor.
That the La Toilette measure is
meeting strong condemnation in the
states is indicated by a lengthy cdi
torial appearing in the Christian Sci
ence Monitor, the big Boston daily
July 90. 1t says it is possible the
federal authorities at Washington. rec
ognizing the seriousness of the situa
ton and realizing the necessity for
early action by congress, "may use
their Influence favorably in an effort to
postpone the intended hauling down
of the Stars and Stripes on the Pacific
next November"
It comments on the report that the
| Japanese and Chinese companies are
in the market to buy the Pacific Mail
feet and that the latter evidently is
in the market to sell.
\ The threatened elimination of com.
petition in the Pacific is dcplOred.
Should the Chinese buy the line how.
ever. much satisfaction would be ex
pressed in the United States. The ar
tirIe does not take eogniZance of the
fact that Hawaii. an important Amcri,
can territory would be between the up,
per and neither milestone, doomed to suf
fer il either Chinese or Japanese syndi.
Gates take over the fleet and place the
shins under foreign registration.
"The whole matter rests on the cost
! df operation, says the Monitor.
l"Under' the La Follettel law; seamen
must be paid much higher wages than
Japanese companies pay at present or
n Chinese company would need to pay.
Under the LaFollette law, also. the
general standard of ship operation il
raised TO level that means, as the
American COMPANIES claim, not only
the wipine sout Of their, profits, but
actual and heavy losses in operation
should they undertake to comply with
its provisions. The American comNan,
les contend that they should not be
expected to bear the burden of main
tanning very mrcht higher standards
than their competitors, and that if the
United States government desires to
have these standards introduced and
maintained it should grant sutsid'c"
or sbventions to the companies af'
fected"