THE AMERICAN CONSULINTERVIEWED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 182, 2 August 1900, Page 9

THE AMERICAN CONSULINTERVIEWED.

EXPLANATION BY ME DILLINGHAM,

One of our reporting- staff looked up Mr Frank Dillingham (United States Consul for New Zealand) to-day, and placed the statements in the telegram before him. Mr Diltingham explains that the law prohibiting foreign owned vessels from doing business be-tween-American ports, and no matter where situated, has been on the Statute Books of the United States Government for many years, and has been strictly enforced. It is a law that was enacted by the Congress of the United States many years ago. and refers to passengers as well as cargo, therefore, when the Hawaiian Islands were annexed to the United States and the laws of the latter Government went into effect, as they did on the 14th June last, the law nlso became effective at the port of Honolulu. It is a law that cannot be amended except by Act of Congress, and Congress does not meet until December next. The American Consul hcis lately frequently heard complaints made against Mr J. D. Spreckels, President of the Oceanic Steamship Company, because he would not continue his present contract with^the Union Steamship Company. Under the present law of the United States Mr Spreckels would be unable to receive any subsidy from that Government w rere he to do so, because the law states explicitly that the steamers of Tiis line mxist be American-owneS. Mr Spreckels he thought one of the ir.ost honourable business men in San Francisco, and no one would stretch a point more willingly than he to carry out the wishes of both Australians and New Zealanders. Mr rHlingham also says Mr Spreckels cannot do anything- in the matter until the law is amended, because the "matter rests entirely with the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States. Mr Spreckels stated in a letter to Mr Dillingham recently that he would visit New Zealand at an early date, when, he hoped to arrange everything to the satisfaction of the colonies. The American Consul also thinks that it was unjust to Mr Spreckels personally to bu attacked for the present status of affairs in connection with the law.