The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-09-01
MAILERS I.
NOT ADMITTED TO
COASTWSE TRADE
---
Bill Opens Way For Vessels Own
ed, Chartered Or Sold BY
Government
1914 EMERGENCY WAR ACT
REFERENCE IS ELIMINATED
House Draft Gave Them PriVi-
Iege II Facilities Were Held
Inadequate

Pacific Mail vessels are not admit
ted to the cOastwise trade by the ad.
ministrntiOu shipping bill as amended
and passed by the senate and concur.
rcd in by the house. No foreign built
vessels except those owned, chartered
or sold to private purchasers by the
/ nitrd States government are admit
ted. These vessels may engage in coast
NiSe trade without restriction. The
h0us" bill, as sent to the senate, provid-
ed that vessels granted American regis
try under the act of August IS, 1914,
might engage in coastwise trade if
the board lshipPing board created by
the bin finds such trade is not being
adequately served by u regular line or
lines of vessels. -
Vessels that came under American
registry under the uctI of August IS,
1914, and act Of August "a, 1912, are
not admitted 10 cOustwisc trade, there
fore. The three new Dutch built Puci.
lie MnIl vessels: f,cuadUr Venezuela
and Colombia, and all other vessels
that gained American registry under
these acts are as they were before;
shut out fGOm trade between Hawaii
and the mainland. The senate amend
mentS were radical, in that they opened
cOastWise trade to foreign built vessels
ginning American registry under the
new shiPling act, thus throwing open
all on the routes, whether along the
Atlantic and pacific and Gulf, OF to
Hawaii and Alaska, without qualiii-
cation; but the amendments were more
conservative than the house as to YES
scIs that gained registry under the
1914 act.
These facts became known yesterday,
after there had been much rejoicing
at the prospect of the new Pxcifc Mail
vessels being able to do business be-
tween Honolulu and San Francisco.
What the Senate Did
The following from the Congressi onal
Record, speech of Senator Jones, Au-
gust -, analyzcs Section 9:
"Mr. President, \Section 8, as it came
to US from the house, contained a pro-
vision that if any forcign-built ships
were given American registry under
this act or under the emergency act
which We passed in 1919, such
Ships could not engage in the coast
wise trade except that such vessels
might engage in trade with Alaska,
Hawaii Or Porto Rico, whether or not
en~route to or from a foreign port, if
the board finds such trade is not being
adequately served by regular line or
lines OF vessels.
"What has the senate committee
dUnef The senate committee has pro-
vfdcd absolutely that any foreign
built ship enrolled or registered or
licensed under this bill may engage in
the coastwse trade anywhere and un-
der all circumstances. They leave no
discretion, even to the shipping board,
to exclude them. If service between
American ports is adequate and suffi-
cient, still foreign built ships can en-.
gage in that trade"
The clause Of Section 9 is as follows:
"PrOvided, That foreign built YES
sells admitted to American registry or
enrolment and license under this act I;
and vessels owned, chartered or leased
by any corporation in which the United
States is stakeholder, and vessels
sold, leased or chartered to any person
citizen of the United States as pro.
vidrd in this act, may engage in the
cOastWIse trade of the United States. "
The senate committee report con
tanned this commentary upon the bill
rs amended by the committee:
"YOur committee being of the opin.
ion that vessels owned in whole or in
part, directly or indirectly by the
United States, rs provided in this act,
and vessels sold, leased or chartered to
any person citizen of the United
States, as provided in this act, should
he permitted, without hampcrng re-.
Strictions, to engage in either the for,
cign or coastwise trade of the United
States, believes that this section
should be so amended as to accomplish
this purpose, and the amendments pro,
posed to this section are with this
vicw.'
In the final debate in the senate,
Senator WoeSs of Massachusetts, Re
publican, made strong appeal in
favor of protecting the coastwise
trade. TO this Senator Underwood of
Alabama, Democrat, cOuutcred, saying
that he would insist upon the govern
ment owned vessels having the priv
ilege of cOustwise trade because they
could not compete in foreign trade
with vessels Of other nations after the
war. 1t had been thought that Scna,
tor Underwood might submit an
amendment opening the coastwise trade
generally to forcign-bult vessels, but
be probably was deferred by the fear
that this would cause Il split ard de-
feat the bill. Senator Harding would
have changed the bill to exclude for
rign builtN vessels from the coastwirc
trade being thus at the antipodrs of
Mr.. Underwood.
Mr.. Underwood contendcd that $50,
O00, 600 worth Of ships, for the pur-
chose Of which the bill appropriated,
would not destroy cOastwisc shipping,
hut would create some healthy compete
ton. He warned the Democrats that
the bin would not build up merchant
marine; recounted what he had done
to aid American shipping; said he had
been opposed to the free tolls repeat,
that the President had made II mis-,
take in this and that he himself had
voted for discriminating duties.