The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-03-19
SUGAR INVESTIGATION.
The Wsstmeath's Cargo TO be
the Cause OF an Enquiry.
Coileo or Hager Criticized.
Correspondence IF the BUt1'M")

by the steamer Westmeath.
The attempt to smuggle it through
the Custom House at u low rate of
duty is, it is reported, to be the sub
jcct of an enquiry on the part OF the
new Secretary of the Treasury, Mr..
Window. The New York Custom
House workings are to be thoroughly
overhauled to ascertain how the
sugar swindles have been worked
there, and, in the same connection,
the little San Francisco Joker will
come up.
Collector Hager has been cndca-
voring to excuse himself for his
action in releasing the cargo, but
each time that he opens his mouth
he inserts his pedal extremity there
in most deliberately. Hager first
said that he had orders from Secre-
tary Fairchid to release the cargo,
and subsequently be denied this.
He next defended himself by saying
that if he had retained the sugar,
and if he had brought suit for its
condemnation, and if he had been |
defeated in the suit, he would have |
been held personally responsible for
any damages the American Sugar
Refinery Company might claim.
On this point the "Evening Post
saws: s'He has been repeatedly
shown that the statutes that cover
the case provide that in case of pro-
bable cause, such as this was, he
would be shielded from any claims
for damages whatever, the govern
ment assuming the responsibility.
The last time that these sections OF
the statutes were shown him was
about month ago, and while ad-
hitting that he would not have been
held personally liable, he sought to
excupate himself with the remark
that lie did not want the government
to lose anything. He considered
this caution necessary in spite OF
the fact that Dr. Bowie, the United
States Examiner of Drugs, APP
praiser Beck and other Customs oili-
cials reported time and again that
the fraud was attempted. Thus
cornered. Collector iager has taken
, another avenue through which he
hopes to escape
"He now says that the sugar
+ would have been seized but for lhe
; ract that the moiety act, under which
former Collectors made such selZ-
ures, was repealed some time ago.
This is considered by those con-
versant with Mr.. Hager and his
business methods as an insinuation
that he would like to be paid extra
to attend to his duty as Collector. >
The Collector also tried to put all
the blame on the California Sugar
. Refinery people. While it is true
. that they asked for information upon
. the rate of duty to be paid upon
" Java sugar. his attention being
y thereby drawn to this cargo, he can
y not by any possible means blame
! them for his subsequent misdeeds.
. By trying to do so he drew out a
y reply from Mr.. e. \. Spreckels who
o is quoted as follows: 81 am sur
IS prisrd that Collector Hager should
e at last take this means to shift the
: responsibility. had always thought
er heretofore that lie would attend tc
A. his duties while being paid his lega
salary, and would not expect any
outside source of revenue to induce
). him to do what was just and right
He has also attempted to avoid res
possibility by saying that this dis
pute over the Westmealh's cargo i
merely the outcome of a rivalry be
II, tween the California and Amcr.cal
e. sugar refneries. ] do not see hoy
lie this has anything to do with th
o. case. Ii we of the California re
a tiuery ascertain that fraud is bein
ed consummated by our rivals, and tha
tn they are getting higher grade c
d. sugar than they are willing to pa
be duty on, it stands to reason that W
ler should desire that they be made t
ice pay every cent of duty that the
~. owe the government. The fact {
.. the matter is that we were the fir
of ones to detect the suspicious fac
in connection with the Westmeath
cargo. Purely as u matter Of bus
ness, we reported it to the prop'
authorities, and Collector Hager
RT' not doing justice to himself, to IL
revenue department or to us
: covering up this matter by such 9
aal assertion. We merely want iustie
ST. and we want to know why it WI
m that that sugar was not seized,
ON the law provides plainly it shou
)hs have been"
ing And again Mr.. Spreckels contin
.. ed to rub it in: "The most astoun
eu- ing admission ever made by pub
ap- officer is that to be found in CC
lector Hagers excuse that the O
oe' Moiety act being repealed,
Dns moiety whatever is now allowed
rth collectors for making seizures. TT
lo- is as pain an admission as he cou
III make that he would have seized t
cargo if there had been anything
il for him, and that he did not ca
to go to any further trouble becau
}. there was nothing IN it for Hag'
for "Mr. Hager talks of resigning
ala position now, think he had bet