The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-06-30

Chamber Commerce, Honolulu.
After meeting of the chamber Of
commerce, yesterday, the above cable
gram was sent by Secretary Raymond
G. Brown While it is an approval Of
the Pomcrene act, the approval is
with an exception which deals with
what is regarded here as the most i'm
portant feature of the bill, and tn"
Chamber Of Commerce of Honolulu will
therefore, go ON record in the national
referendum on the subject as disap
proving the bill.
1.-THE meeting was unanimous in its
action, on the ground that it would
place an undue burden upon the trans,
portation companies.
1l"One of the main objects Of the
BILL" said the report, signed by T. H
Petrfe fchairman). C. G. Ballentync
A. T. Clark and c. H. Bellina, "is t"
establish the security as negotiable
instrument Of a bill of ,lading issued by
q common carrier and in so doing de
fines and imposes additional response
bilities upon the common carrier. To
establish the security of a hill-of ladinp
as a negotiable instrument, it would
seem 10 require a carrier to assume the
responsibility of certifying to the fac
that a shipment covered by a hill-of
lading is as represented by the shippP'
when offered to the carrier for ship
ment, both as to the number of pack
ages and Identification of the contents
thereof.
Responsibility Is Fixed
Apparently the purport of the Pom
creme bill is to place that responsibility
on the carrier. and relieve from anv
responsibility banking institutions OF
others accepting the carriers bill-Of
lading as security in financial transac
tions, and further relieving the shipper
from any responsibility, other than be
ing subject to the penalties provided
where fraud might be committed"
The committee renOrt quotes sec
tions Of the bill which REQUIRE trans
portation companies to ascertain de
hnitely the character of shipments
which they accept, and certify bills
sof lading so that the latter shall bC
practically banking documents. 1t was
I this feature of the bill which was OBJ
jeeted TO by local business men. II
portation companies, of examining anC
being responsible for shipments, which
would mean big raise in freight
rates to meet the cost of such examin
ations, according to the view of loca
business men.
The concluding portion Of the cham
Der of commerce committees report, il
as follows:
"In opposition to the bill are natur
ally the common carriers themselves
and we understand the Interstate Com
meree Commission, not as a body, bu
through its Individual members TIL,
arguments against the hill are that i
practically throws upon the carrier
banking responsibility, which it SHOULD
mot be called upon TO assume, and rele
gates it's business of transporting pro
peTty to that Of secondary considera
tion, making the issuance of negOti
able bill of lading the question o
primary importance.
Would Stint Commerce
49, Commissioner Hall Of the Inter
state Commerce Commission is repoTte
10 have stated before the house commit
tee on interstate and foreign commerc
that Il believe there is nothing whic
would have a stronger tendency to stin
the commercial growth of this cOuntr
than the enacting of such legislation a
is contained in the Pomerene bill
which proposes to hold a transports
ton company liable for the issuanc
by its agent for bills of lading fC
goods which may never have been T,