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Show HAWAII WILL MAKE APPEAL TO CONGRESS Increasing Cost of Food on Account of Lack of Steamships Is Causing Distress in Territory. HONOLULU, T. H., Jan. 6. Hawaii, Ha-waii, with its industries cramped and food prices soaring on account of the shortage of steamships, is preparing to ! urge upon congress at the coming short session legislation to relieve the condi-I condi-I tion. Prices have soared far beyond j those on the mainland, though a few years ago the cost of living was consid-j consid-j erably less here than it was in San I Francisco and other coast cities. With the American flag all but dis-' appeared from the Pacific, the situation situa-tion that confronts the island is serious. The Pacific mail steamships Ecuador and Venezuela, both flying the American Ameri-can flag, come and go through this port, but they are not allowed to carrv freight or passengers between Hawaii and the mainland, for the reason that they are foreign-built, and, under the present interpretation of the new shipping ship-ping act, not entitled to American registry. regis-try. Thus far, however, there has, so far as can be learned here, been no final ruling upon that question and Hawaii is still hopeful that the government, govern-ment, in view of the serious situation that obtains, will reverse its present attitude at-titude and give those vessels and others like them registry. Other vessels that formerly flew the American flag and catered to the needs of the islands, such, for instance, as the I Korea, formerly of the Pacific Mail i fleet, still come and go, but at their storn flutters the emblem of the rising sun, and, so far as Hawaii is concerned, they do not count, except for such comparatively com-paratively small business as is done be- tween this port and the Orient. The reason ib that, although Honolulu Hono-lulu is 2100 nautical miles away from the mainland, the coastwise shipping laws still apply here preventing foreign bottoms from carrying freight or passengers pas-sengers between American ports. It is proposed that Delegate Kala-j Kala-j nianaole shall ask for legislation to relieve the situation. |