Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-30
HONOLULU ABLE
TO STAND STRIKE
SHOULD IT come
Continued from page ouel

received. Especially noticeable woulc
the discrimination of railway service
be felt now, since so many freighl
steamers running between San Fran
cisco and New York have deem called
into the Atlantic for munitions.
'Pineapples have been piling up OF
us after canning more extensivel!
than ever before. due to shortage o
bottoms out Of Honolulu, say:
Thomas, and if this strike should en-
due for some time we'd be walled il
here with cases ..-: ~.
Thomas says the strike probably
would net advance the retail price Of
canned pineapples in the states un
less It continued longer than the wild
est predictions because large am
cunt Of the 1916 crop has already been
sold and shipped to the states.
F. w. Macfarlane, president of Lib
by. Mcneil G. Libby, was not in his
office when called Jy The Star-Buile
tin relative to the effects of the
threatened strike, nor was William l.
Clifford. manager of the Hawaii Pre-
serving Company.
Skipping Men Optimistic.
Local shipping men and importers
90 not seem 10 view the railroad
strife situation on the mainland with
deep concern While they all admit
that If the strike continues for any
length CT time Hawaii will be serious
~ affected and a large number OF
items ef merchandise will run short,
they all believe that something will
be dcne before the situation becomes
acute. Prices may go up somewhat
on few supplies. but it is expected
that the market will remain firm and
there is but little fear expressed con-
corning the food supply.
J. F. Hamburg Of H Hackfeld &
{ ompany said today that the strike
would most seriously affect building
supplies and drygoods. as these are
the only things that are at present
soarce here. hut he did not believe
that prices would appreciably in
crease on foodstuffs. Other mer-
chants seen today said practically the
same thing.
Freight Already Accumulated.
One thing which will relieve any
shortage for at least month is the
large amount Of freight now accumu-
lated at San Francisco waiting ship.
ment to the islands
John II. Drew, manager of the ship
ping department of Castle & Cooke,
said today that there is now in San
Francisco over 10000 tons of freight
y aiting to be placed on steamers for
the islands. OF this amount, $4,000
tors are in the freight cars waiting
tn he unloade9 and the remainder in
the warehouses. This alone amounts
10 three full shiploads and beside
that there will have to be taken into
consideration the local San Francisco
freight and that which is brought by
FIR river steamers from inland Cali
fornia points. Freight from the
northwest can also be brought to San
Francisco by steamer.
Three-quarters of the freight Of
fered to the Southern Pacific will be
delivered, in the event of general
railroad strike, according to officials
OF the road interviewed by ]. R. Spald-
ing, manager of the San Francisco Of
flee of the Spalding Construction
Company He arrived en- the Mat
sonia for short stay in Honolulu
and talked with a number of railroad
and steamship men on the strike sit
uation few days before leaving the
coast.
They have signed agreements
with many of the men now working
for the road that they will not go on
strike" Mr.. Spalding said in a dis
cussion of the subject in his office
this afternoon. Most of the men
Who have signed the agreement are
we'll along towards the time when
they wilp be retired on a pension and
do not want to be taken from the list
as they will be il they strike"
In addition 10 the men now working
the entire retired list of the railroad
lines will be called out, Spalding was
told.
"All of the transcontinental lines
will be able to handle at least half
OF the freight offered and will run at
least one transcontinental passenger
train a day, according to what l was
told," Mr.. Spalding said.
etters received in Tuesdays mail
from the San Francisco office of the
company expressed no fear of the re-
suits of the strike
Local contractors will not suffer
much il the strike is called, w. T.
Spalding, manager of the company
here, declared Practically all of the
material we use comes from coast
cities and can be transported to the
docks by motor or. barge" "
lie said, "But little structural steel
is used here. That is about the only
material that has to come from the
Fest. Reinforcing steel is rolled in
San Francisco from Chinese ores.