The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-10-02
TOURIST Travel IS
HANG|NGIN DOUBT
Little Worry About Frelghts But
Only Congressional Action
!. Can Aid Passenger Service

=.
Face to face with the practical GER
taiuty that all, except perhaps the slow.
est vessels Of American registry upon
which Hawaii has depended for the
transportation Of its freight and pas.
senger service with the mainland, will
he taken by the government from their
Pacific Ocean runs and put into serv.
ice on the Atlantic, Honolulu folk took
notice after reading the dispatches
from Washington yesterday morning.
While something of the kind had been
expected IL had not been anticipated
that any such sweeping communicating
would be undertaken by the govern.
ment.
Honolulans yesterday really gave
serious consideration to what is meant
by the taking of from the Pacihe Of
all American vessels Of more than $500
tons registry. II did not occasion 30
much anxiety as 10 freight carrying as
for the passenger service, the bringing
Of the tourists who are so important
to the prosperity Of the Islands each
year. II Is expected that the govern
ment will provide vessels Of some type
to carry the freight, but how about
passenger service until the Coastwise
Law shall have been ordered. suspended
by act of congressl Will congress act
az this session or wait until next ses-
sion and leave an interim during which
the Islands will be left with made.
quate servieef That was something
to make Honolulans think, especially
those in lines Of business that are
largely dependent on tourists for their
profits, e. s, .'........ ... '
shippers Worry Little l.E n
Sugar shippers expressed little anx-
iety as TO arrangements being made for
the carrying of the sugar outturn. As
to just what those arrangements will
be they were cup in the air. for
nothing definite in adyices have as yet
come to this point though they have
been led to believe that former Ger
man vessels viii be furnished TO carry
the sugar. Such vessels could bring
from the mainland immediate freight
requirements Of the Islands in the way
of supplies and materials.
The Sugar Factors Company Is the
largest shipper of sugar from Hawaii.
Yesterday Manager A. M. NOVEL; Of
the company said: .-tA. A.
81 feel confident that the govern
ment will provide the necessary ship
ping facilities though in what way they
will do so we do not now know.
Government Needs Sugar a.
"Unless they deem It more impor:
tant to take troops to France than to
feed them when they get them there
and to feed the modified armies before
they start for France, we shall have the
facilities for shipping our sugar. /
feel sure the government will make
provisions for getting the supplies
which 1t needs for its soldiers and its
civilians. II has thought the sugar
supply q serious enough problem TO go
under food control and IL certainly is
not going to stop there. We can only
wait and see how they will arrange to
get our sugar where IL will do them
some good and not let II lie here,
Business men looked on the freight
situation in the same philosophie way,
that the hlls which would take the
sugar away would bring all that was
necessary to supply the needs of the
Islands. r.y".# stE .g
Passenger Service Different
With the passenger service it was
admittedly different. 1t is expected that
the Coastwise Law which prevents for
eign vessels carrying Honolulu passen-
gers, will be revoked but the fear. Is
expressed that this will not be done
soon enough, that there may be an in
term. 1t was urged that action be
taken to expedite at this session the
required legislation.
If the Coastwise Shipping regulations
are lifted for the period of the war
the japanese and the Dutch liners
could readily give Hawaii passenger
service that would clarity the situa
ton. Otherwise there will be prae
tically no passenger service to and
from the Islands.