The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1895-07-29
Continued from 1st Page)

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very wasterul OF the time OF the
Secretary.
Up to the present time the Com
mission has availed itself to only
moderate extent OF the privilege
conferred by the Act of visiting the
outer districts ia pursuit of inform
alton. Mr.. Armstrong was on the
Island Of Hawaii for about a month,
most OF which time was devoted to
an investigation of matters connect
ed with the rapidly developing coffee
industry; the results Of such inves-
tigation being embodied in the re-
port on that subject, already pre-
sented to the Executive and Advisory
Councils, and by that body trans
mitted to the Legislature. Mr..
Severance spent two weeks among
the sugar planters and coffee growers
Of Hilo and vicinity; Mr.. Vivas made
, brief visit to Kauai and Mr.. Arm
strong has also spent four days on
Maui, The total expense incurred
in these journeys has been two hum
dred and thirty-seven dollars and
fifteen cents (237.15.)
Thus far the Commission has
made no use of its authority to issue
subpenas, or take formal oral tes-
timony. AS this method of obtain
ing information would have sub
jected the members of the Commits
sion, and in some instances the wit
aesses as well, to no little personal
inconvenience, and have uecessitated
the expenditure OF considerable adj
ditional money for travelling ex-
penses, fees of witnesses and pay of
photographer, it seemed desirable
that the work to be done in this way
should be. reduced TO a minimum,
combining il mainly, if not entirely,
to cases in which the Commission
was unable to get the necessary in
formation by any less onerous and
expensive method. AS it was i'm
possible to tell in advance Just what
this residuum might be, or what
branches of the inquiry it might in
clude, ii seemed wise to The Com
mission to gather in all the facts
that could be obtained by means OF
correspondence, and in some in
stances by informal personal in
quiries before availing itself of the
right to summon and compel the at
tendance OF witnesses, require the
production of books and papers, etc,
which is conferred in Section 4 of
the Labor Commission Act.
Operating on these lines, large
amount of work has been done and,
in tho main, with satisfactory re-
suits. This work may be summar-
lied as follows:
A large correspondence has been
carried on, facts bearing ON the sub
iect of labor, both here and else
whore, being sought for in various
quarters. Circular letters, varying
ia form according to the persons
addressed and The questions asked,
and enclosing copies of the Act and
typewriter memoranda of the
| ,~o.afa IN xr,h;ch ,,Nfnr,,, ,,oo
wanted, with suitable blanks to be
filed up and returned in making re-
ply have been sent to all the sugar
plantations and mills, about sixty
in number, also to plantation agents,
tax assessors, government physi-
clans, Hawaiian Consuls in sugar
producing countries, and public
officials of various kinds,
similar method of obtaining in
formation and ascertaining views
has been used with merchants and
tradesmen, the representatives of
various mechanical pursuits, etc.
The material solicited in this way
has been arranged and tabulated 80
far az the same has been practicable,
and the results are to be found in
part in the reports already laid be-
fore the Legislature. The balance
OF the matter in the hands Of the
| Commission is ia various states of
| IL j