The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-08-31
MATSON SHIPS GO;
GERMAN Prizes TO
FILL THEIR PLACES
kuhio Brings Direct Official Word
From Shipping Board As To
Transportation Question
MAUI AND MATSoNIA GO
INTO TRANSPORT USE
Great Northern and Northern Pa
cific Likewise - eoastwise
Law Probably Suspended


"Great changes are coming 20 the
result OF the war, ,, says Prince Kuhio.
'The last thing / did before leaving
Washington was to confer with officials
Of the Shipping Board. Before next
spring, the Maui and the Matsonia
will be taken over by the government
and turned into transports. The Great
Northern Is also listed to be a trans
port. Her sister ship, the Northern
Pacific, will also 60 to the Atlantic as
a troop ship. ..s s, u
"The nine German informed ships
that have been taken TO the mainland
from here have been about repaired.
Five Of these ships have been turned
over to the quartermaster 8 department
Of the army for war purposes. -Four
of them will be held on the Coast 20
go into Hawaiian trade as relief ships
for the Maui and Matsonia and the
Great Northern. asss ;.ss. 49,.
Others Possible ..rrt.a. III ,.esg.
'It is possible that Hawaii may get
some OF the ships that were interned
in the Philippine Islands after they
just what disposition will be made Of
them is question still before the
Shipping Board. There are twelve Of
these ships and shortly they will all
reach the mainland.
Commissioner Donald Of the board
is giving close attention to Hawaii's
needs. He has assured me that the
people win not be left without ade-
quate freight service. He is disposed
TO make passenger travel as agreeable
as circumstances will permit, but the
first consideration Of the board will be
freight. n" a,t..
fThe ships from the Pacific that will
be drafted by the government for
transport service will not be needed
for service until spring, when the first
contingent of the national army will
be turned out of the training camps.
l0f course, these communicated ships
will have to be made over; that is re-
built to provide the maximum of berth
space, This rebuilding win, of course,
take some time. ~
Suspend Coastwise Law ~ t.g -a..
Chairman Alexander of the house
committee on merchant marine and
fisheries, who visited the Islands two
years ago, has before his committee q
measure that authorizes the President
to exempt, during the period of the
war, the law that forbids citizens from
travelling on foreign ships in coastwise
trade. Chairman Alexander has gone
Z to his home in Missouri, and will not
have his committee act upon this meas
ure unless it first passes the senate
He told me that there was a strong
possibility that this power will be Civ
EN- the President. II such action ID
taken it will be for the President Ia
say whether or not citizens of Hawaii
, may travel to the mainland on foreign
ships without being subject to the fine
now imposed for a violation of the
coastwise law.
Coastguard Delay
"Another matter that is of interest
is the question of the new coast guard
ship for Hawaiian waters. In tht
naval appropriation bill of the last con
gress there was a provision providing
for three new coast guard ships, eaci
to cost $450,000, and one to have per
manent station at Honolulu. Captain
McCalister of the Coast Guard Service
: has advised me that the great demand
the war has made on the ship yardi
of the country has made it impossible
to have these ships built at this time
II seems as if the building will have
to be delayed until the war ends.
: Federal Building Plans
"Before leaving l conferred will
the officials Of the treasury who hav'
| the new public building in charge. Tn,
Il architects, York & Swayer, Of New
Z York City, will have the final cabine
sketch ready in about two months. Thi
is a sketch Of room space that is sub
mitted to the different members of tn
cabinet who desire space in the build
ing for their departments; namely, pos
Office, justice, commerce and the wa
|, departments. The war department ha
made demand for so much spac
J that il has raised rather Difficult
PROBLEM for the architects.
"It will take a month, at least, l.
n have the cabinet sketch passed upol
! by the cabinet officers. When this
e done the architects will then take u
q the question of design and material
Z The high price of material and labor
5 due to war conditions, will be material
;. ly felt in this matter. .......
"When this question of design an
Z material is settled, then will come In
d bids for construction. The officials o
r the supervising architects office wi
a advise me later about the possible tim
p before construction work is inau
IS gurated."