The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-11-14
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the
statements made. or opinions expressed ey on
correspondents
Letter from Mr.. Peter Lee,

eport Of the Legislative proceed
ngs, find that Rep. Waipuilani,
when the item of an appropriation
If $4,000 for my Volcano road was
lnder consideration, saw fit in the
course of his remarks on the mat
ter, TO make a charge against me
Of so grave a nature, that in justice
to myself l feel forced to ask for a
short space in your columns IN
which to answer same. Among
other things, | stand accused OF
trying to deceive the House. This
l deny and furthermore character
ize as a vile misrepresentation and
falsehood on the part of the wise
Scion from Kona, and whether it |
was done knowingly or not 1t
amounts to the same thing. a
brief history of matters, to the
truth of which l am prepared to
take oath, will perhaps give the
public the best insight into the
matter and it can then draw its
own conclusions. 1t was at the
earnest solicitation of the |. |. S. \.
Co. that l first started the hotel
business at Punaluu. which was
combined with the transporting OF
tourists to and from the Volcano.
This required the expenditure of
what, to poor man like myelsf,
was large sum of money, which
afterwards was still further in
creased when / was forced to build
q wagon road to the Volcano, to
save myself on account of competi-
ton with the Wilder's S. S. Co. s
new Keauhou route.
A contract was regularly drawn
up between myself and the |. l. S.
n. Co., in which l agreed to build
a road to the Volcano through a
country over which the l. l. S. n.
Co. claimed to have right of way,
which they were to transfer to me
after 1 had paid back certain sum
of money that they had advancer
for the purpose of assisting id
building the road. l put in per-
sonally some cash and eight
months of hard labor, the road was
completed, and has since been oper
ated and kept in repair at my owl
expense, and at loss to me, as the
, tourist traffic has never been heavy
enough to make it a paying bust
ness.
Some months since | was asked
by the Hon. w. G. Irwin, Hon. S
, Parker and others why l did no
: sell the road to the Government, a
, 1T was shame to expect man t.
keep a road in repair at his owl
expense, and for the public use am
: benefit, and furthermore whethe
: or not l would be willing to sell t.
q the Government After thinkin;
the matter over | offered to sci
whatever right, title and interest
: had in the road for the sum of $40
e 900. l have always considered my
# self the owner of the road, as tn
: whole expense of building it ha
= been borne by myself alone; but
% seems that the |. l. S. N. Co.agree
to give me a right of way over
J. country to which they had no It'll,
V never having had the first scratc
:, of q pen from the Hawaiian Ayr
cultural Co. ,lessees of the property
g Fortunately for myself l have sine
3 through the kindness and efforts {
s, Mr.. p. G. Jones, obtained a rigf
o. of way from the Hawaiian Agrlcu
:; tural Co. 80 that as far as title goe
there can be no objection to til
Government purchase of the roa'
l. Further l deny that the road onl
e cost $4,000, and who should kno
~ better than myself. What the roa
has cost, however, is no ones bus
1, ness, much less Waipuilani's. Th
Oh true question is, was my price e.
T., horbitant, or did | ask MOI
r. than it would have cost tt
:. Government to construct it, {
~ another as good, between tt
le same points. In all candor l woul
beg to state that Judging by til
ID cost to the Government of the Hi
N and Volcano road and other road
20 that my price was REASONABLE
- Finally 1t would seem as thong
hA I
ic S. n. Co.. for l hardly think
er company OF its standing would il
10 terfere in a matter of this kin,
. has been telling Rep. Waipuilal
>o and the committee huge lie abol
my having worked for MONTH
wages, and finding myself heade
off l went to the l. 1. S. n. Co. ar
70 got them to transfer the owne
~ ship of the road to me, ETC., etc
never as yet have had the homo
of working for that company NJ
10 would / care to avail myself of tn;
lie pleasure as long as 1t would /
lg necessary to be associated in i
lie employ with one who could stoo
so low as to try and injure me b
SC trickery and false representation
even though he were distantly r
TT lated to the Emperor of Chin
m The bill to purchase my road b;
ci fallen through and is thing of tt
past, so that L gain nothing by tn
Ia answer and letter of explanation
III further than as it may assist i
preserving my reputation an