The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-08-13

Second reading of bill to change
the fire limits of Honolulu.
Rep. Kalua moved it be referred
to the public lands committee. He
did this because the bill dictated to
a man the height of the house he
should build. 1t was all right to
have a law compelling one to put up
tireproof buildings within certain
limits, but the law should not tell q
man how high he might build his
house.
Rep. Lucas said it might make no
difference how high the houses were
built at Wailuku on the Island of
Maui, but it was important in the
city of Honolulu. There was moth
ing new about that provision, as it
was in the law passed in 1886. This
bill had been prepared by com
mittee after the receipt of q petition
for the change. He moved the bill
pass.
Noble Widemann referred to q lot
he had just outside the area covered
by this bill. lie did not want the
members to listen TO what lie was
saying, but he would like the bill to
go to committee so that his lot
might have the benefit of the
change.
Rep. Bush considered the petition
on which the the bill was based
reasonable one. 1t was ridiculous
to have the fire limits eighty feet
beyond Alakea street, and it was
an injury to property owners.
Rep. Lucas referred TO the recent
widening of Alakea street which less
ened the risk of fire. The property own
ers there were not as a rule wealthy,
and it was hardship to require
them to put up brick buildings.
There was lot of old shanties
along the street, which the owners
could not afford to replace with bet
ter buildings, unless this bill pass
ed and allowed them TO build of
wood.
Noble Crabbc was one of the
heavy losers in the fire of 1886, and
all the fault he had with the fire
limits was that they did not include
the squares bounded by King, Maui
nakea, Smith and Beretania streets,
in which case he would he better off
by $1,000 year rent.
Noble Widemann had been fight
ing for years to secure proper fire
limits for Honolulu. Subsequent to
the great fire of 1886 they managed
to get a law passed. 1t was unwise
to reduce those limits. He had
heard no sufficient argument for the
passage of this bill. The owner of
lot within the limits approached
him with request to have q change
made. as he could not afford to put
up fireproof building. The speaker
felt that he had an equal right to
have his adjacent property included,
but had not the face TO try for such
a thing. Perhaps he should have
got his friend from the fourth ward
to introduce and carry through q
bill for him.
Rep. Lucas-That would be all
right.
The bill passed, TO he read third
time Thursday.
Second reading of q bill to pro.
vide for the licensing of agents soil
citing risks for life insurance.
Noble Mccarthy moved it pass.
Noble Marsden, introducer of thu
bill, spoke of the responsibility Of
insurance drummers who trave
through the country. 1t had beel
necessary in previous session tt
pass law for the protection of mer
chants against travelling commercial
drummers. AS the bill did not af
feet people living in the country, III
supported the motion to pass it.
Noble Muller moved the bill b.
indefinitely postponed. 1t was
benefit TO people living in the coun
try to have agents call on them TO
risks. The bill was unconstitutional
giving the Minister of Interior powe
Va iciuSibS liCeHSe'
Noble Mccarthy believed in tn
bill. He related abuses that it wa
intended to prevent. Agents cam
here from abroad and induced pee
, pie to give up policies in rival com
panies on which more or less pre-
miums had been paid.
Noble Marsden gave an instanc
of man in the country taken in b.
the contract of one of these irres
ponsible agents. The bill woul
cause the general agents in Hone
lulu to appoint sub-agents in TIL
country, and then insurers woul
have residents to hold responsible
| Noble Widemann doubted if th
local agents wanted protection.
Noble Marsden said they all ask
: ed for it.
t Noble Widemann did not see til
: necessity of ornamenting the st,
, tute books with this bill. Their
5 was enough of that kind of orn,
mentation already.
4 Rep. Nawahi was aware that SON
foreign agents had come here an
| swindled foreign residents. Succe:
r in the agents business involved
, sweet tongue on his part and gull