1 - American Memory
1 - American Memory
1 - American Memory
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
ao<br />
When we speak of surface transportation, we are talking specifi-<br />
cally about shipping lines for, unlike the other 48 contiguous States,<br />
no trucks, no trains, no busses or automobiles can be used to carry<br />
interstate goods to people in Hawaii. Because we are 2,000 miles<br />
away from the closest mainland port, the utilization of air carriers<br />
is extremely costly and impossible for large bulk items. Rice is a staple<br />
as much as flour is a staple in tlie United States. A 100-pound bag<br />
would cost us $20 to bring it to the State of Hawaii. Hawaii is, there-<br />
fore, the most vulnerable State of all. We are encircled by a huge moat,<br />
the Pacific OceaUj and the only practical way to transport goods to<br />
and from Hawaii is by ship.<br />
Since Hawaii is by no means self-sufficient, we depend on the con-<br />
tinental United States for our very survival. We have become an<br />
import-export economy and through our shipping lines goods are<br />
exchanged. This kind of economy occurred by necessity rather than<br />
chance. Hawaii has practically no raw materials, no metals, no oil or<br />
coal, and the 800,000 residents of the State present an uneconomical<br />
market, a pocket market, to produce a complete range of consumer<br />
goods. This situation forces more than three out of every four physical<br />
items consumed or processed in Hawaii to be brought in from other<br />
States and overseas.<br />
The dependence of Hawaii on shipping is crucial. All the efforts of<br />
local and State government, businesses and private citizens could not<br />
prevent the suffering of our islands' residents in past shipping tie-<br />
ups. The well-being of some 68,000 people are tied directly into this<br />
shipping lifeline and are directly affected by maritime disputes—<br />
chemicals to purify water, food, clothes, fuels, and medical supplies.<br />
Any shipping interruptions severely depletes our essential food<br />
supplies which are obtained mostly from the mainland and forces air<br />
shipping which increases our already astronomical cost of living. All<br />
of our lamb, mutton, and turkey and 75 percent of our chicken are<br />
imported. Our local livestock and poultry industry depend on nearly<br />
all of the feed from mainland sources. We bring in 100 percent of our<br />
butter and margarine, 99 percent of our potatoes, 89 percent of the<br />
carrots, 58 percent of the lettuce, and with the exception of some com,<br />
all of the grain.<br />
Rice, a local staple, is entirely imported, mostly from the Sacra-<br />
mento area. Although we locally mill 90 percent of our flour, all of the<br />
wheat for the flour is shipped in. Baby foods, cereals, the bulk of our<br />
canned goods, cooking oils, most of the salt and many more food goods<br />
are imported. Higher prices for food, as a result of using alternate<br />
shipping routes or air carriers. creat« extreme difficulties to the thou-<br />
sands of people on small and fixed incomes.<br />
Items such as cars, trucks, farm machinery, accessory parts and<br />
components are imported. Since there are no paper or pulp mills in<br />
Hawaii, all paper goods are also brought in from the mainland. It<br />
is estimated that 95 percent of all the lumber and almost all the ply-<br />
wood and veneer are shipped in. Since the State has virtually no min-<br />
eral resources, all metal materials such as structural steel, pipe, wire,<br />
plumbing fixtures, sheet metal, et cetera, as well as glass and paint<br />
come from sources outside the State. Even essential medical supplies,<br />
chlorine to purify our water and other drugs are brought in.