The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-05-22
so SAYS l.. r.. GRANT IN THE HlLO
TRIBUNE.
After Visiting Washington Believes
That Harold Sewall will be Appoint
ed Governor of the Islands.

HlLO, May 20.-L. r. Grant, man
ager of the Hilo Electric Light Com
pany. returned on Wednesday from a
trip of two months or so to the main
land, during which time he visited
most of the principal cities of the
East and West.
There was an atom of truth at the
basis of the report that took the trip
in the interest of automobile extern
sion to the Islands," said Mr.. Grant.
though as a matter of fact | was sim
ply requested by certain parties in
Honolulu to look up and make some
reports on the subject.
For that matter | had several other
thingsin the way of electric power and
its application that | examined. but
my object in going was to make some
settlement for the Nicaragua claims
in which there are twenty-five of us
interested. Everything had been ar
ranged nicely between representatives
of ourselves and the governments of
the United States and Nicaragua. and
our claims had been compromised for
fifty cents on the dollar so that |
think without doubt they would have
been paid had it not been for the
res, which has resulted in the most
strained relations between the two
countries"
Mr.. Grant gave a detailed account
of relations been Nicaragua and he
United States. Commencing with the
concessions given to American capita
lists and business men about sixteen
years ago. which resulted so advan-
10 Al n.
an officials concluded to "cinch" them.
which they have done in various ways.
eliminating in the actions of General
Torres. military governor of the Mos
quito District, who, not content with
the heavy customs charges. compelled
American tradesmen who imported
goods to keep IA book showing the cost
and selling price, and taxed them 5
per cent on the profits thus shown
Hence the complaints of American
citizens and the sending of two war
ships to Bluefields. Hence also Mr..
Grant and the others have their claims
still unpaid.
During the time that Mr.. Grant
spent in Washington he had consider
able conversation with men closely
connected with the administration on
Hawaiian affairs. From them he
gathers that it is very doubtful wheth-
er Hawaii is ever anything more than
a colony. A territorial form of gov
ernment seems out of the question. In
the first place because it is the gen
eral belief that Cuba and possibly the
Philippines will never again go out
from under the American flag, and to
make u territory of Hawaii would set
precedent which they would not
want to follow in the other cases. nor
do they in general consider that there
is any difference among the lot as
they are mostly populated by Mig
gers with n few white men in pos
| session of everything.
s Moreover if Hawaii is made a terri
tory sugar refneries will be establish
ed on Hawaii, a contingency which
arouses the antagonism of the Sugar
Trust as our cheap labor without duty
| arouses the antagonism of the beet
and cane interests in which hundreds
of millions are invested in the United
| States. 1t will be very hard to con.
vince American Congressman or the
people back of them that these eX-
tensive interests are to be sacrificed
| for the benefit of the so or Z;
individuals who represent the major
part of the sugar interests of Hawaii
Mr. Grant believes that Sewall will
return to the Islands with the ap-
pointment of Governor in his pocket
and that for an indefinite time, at any
rate, Hawaii will be simply under col
onist administration Tribune.
|