The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-08-28
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.

Minutes read and confirmed.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
Rep. Rice reported back, engrossed, the
bill relating to bringing OF suits by and
against the Government. The bill was
partly read, and referred back for correc-
ton.
Noble Baldwin read the report of the
Finance Committee on the petition pre-
scented 9Th instant on behalf of Mr.. Gibbs
and others:
Hon. w. R. Castle, President OF the Legis-
lative Assembly.
Sir The Finance Committee, 10 whom
was referred the petition OF j. W. Gibbs
and four others. have had the matter under
careful consideration, and beg leave to
present the following report. The Petl-
tioners set forth that they worked on the
Molokai water works from the 2Oth OF
February, 1888, till the 26th OF May, 1888,
during which time they worked ~ days
| and that for 40 days OF this time previous
to March 31st they have received neither
vouchers nor cash; and further, that they
understand that the money Tor the AZ DAYS
line has been paid to a certain party for
| their benefit, but that they are unable to
ascertain who the party is. After full IN
vestigatlon. we have ascertained the fol-
| lowing facts:
The petitioners were employed on the
| KeIaupapa water works under Mr.. Y. b.
| Wilson. Superintendent of the Water
| Works, who from month to month drew
| the paw of ali the laborers, which was de-
| posted with the Clerk of the Water works,
and the orders from the laborersWere palu
| from this amount whenever they were pre-
| scented. NJ u.,.
drew from the Treasury the pay for the
laborers for that month, and hled In the
| Interior Department as voucher the pay
roll signed by all the laborers.
Now. instead of holding this amount Tor
| the settlement of the accounts OF the
Iaborers for whom it was drawn, It was
used to settle any drafts IndlscrIminately
that were presented not only for the March
labor. but also for the laborers that were
| working on the Kalaupapa water works in
April. a., o,a s.
March, the appropriation for " water pipes
| at Kalaupapa" being exhausted, 1t was
decided to finish laying the pipe, charging
the cost to the general appropriation lor
J Ieper settlements, and such course was
pursued At the end of April, upon pre-
sentation of the pay rolls to the Audltor-
| Oen6Tdl lOT dpplONali IL NNNA'tA -
prove, on the ground that the general ap,
preparation for Leper Settlement did not
authorize payments for labor IN laying
water pipe in Leper Settlement.
Meanwhile, some OF the laborers at Molo'
kai had continued during April to draw
drafts for wages earned for April. Some
of the men. however, had drawn no orders
for either February or March. The result
was that there being no money Forthcoming
at the end of April from the Treasury, the
amount drawn for the laborers the 3lst OF
March was all paid out to those who drew
their accounts for February, March ano
April, and there was nothing left for those
who had not drawn, or who had only
drawn in part, among whom were the
petitioners -.
This method of handling the public funds
in settling accounts which seems to have
been practised by the Superintendent Is
reprehensible, and should not be allowed
The petitioners claim that no cash was
paid out to the laborers on the kalaupapt
water works for work done in April, bul
we have examined parties who received
cash for work done in April. and the books
in the Superintendent office show thai
all the money drawn on this account pre-
yious to March 31st was paid to laborers.
We find, on investigation, that George
Barker, who signed the petition, has beer
fully settled with, which he admits. The
accounts of the other four who signed the
petition stand as follows: