The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-06-28
tut HNU n
STEAMER
Paiai Contractors
Air Their
PiIikia.
rram rhur.day.s paIlyl

Fr1m Thursdays bally)
steamer set apar, especially FOR the
needs ~ the Board Of Health Ia conncc'
ton with maintenance or the Leper Set
element on Molokai, the sending Of food
supplies to these people, and the collec-
ton OF lepers from tie other Islands Of
the group TO be brought first TO Honolu-
IN ana thence sent 90 Knlaupapa Is alb
solutely necessary n the lopcrs are TO be
cared for properly.
The Board of Health men complain
that the service OF the Island steamers
is poor, especially for the Leper Settle
ment and the steamship company state
that they are always misrepresented. 1t
Is evident that no matter what the cause
may be, the Settlement does not receive
proper attention.
The Board of Health Is just now In a
auandary as to what II will do to supply
the lepers with poi, a contract for which
was signel last week by Lee Gnu ana
his associates to supply 400 paiai of TWEEN
ty-one pounds each. every week. After
the contractor had signed the agreement
by which he was to supply fresh paial In
good condition landed at Kalaupapa, an
objection was made to the terms which
the Board imposed upon him He APP
peared before the Board with his attor-
ney. j. A. Magoon, who stated the va
rious objections which Lee Chu now had
against fulfilling his part of the con-
tract. To man up tree II seemed
that Lee Chu was endeavoring to get
all the good things of a contract on his
side, removing all chance of the contract
being annulled for his failure to do GER
tain things. and to throw the onus of the
paiai spelling before 1t reached kalau-
papa upon the Board of Health thus re-
ltpy he of
other words, he proposed that the Board
should accept his paiai on the dock here
and pay him for it. If the paiai spoiled
the Board would be the loser of the paiai
and the money, although the agreement
which he had already signed was vice
versa.
The attorney stated the chief objection
was In the delays which the Board ex-
perienced in having its Settlement freight
land9d at Kalaupapa in anything like
specified period He said his clients only
desired their legal rights, although he
confessed that their having signed the
contract proposed by the Board showed
they had accepted the conditions up to
the time they had conferred with him.
The contract read that each bundle of
paai should be well packed and weigh
twenty-one pounds, and that the con-
tractors should be ready to supply 400
paiai every week. He said this was I'M
satisfactory to the contractors. The
terms were such that if they failed to
perform this duty of supplying so much
per week upon an order which came
from the Board on a Sunday to be de-
livered either on a Monday or a Tues
day afternoon, whenever the steamer
sailed for the Settlement, 1t was equiva-
lent to their losing the contract There
was further nothing in the contract
which stated when the money was to be
paid to Lee Chu He said his clients
wanted to be paid monthly. They would
be compelled to go to considerable ex-
pense in buying up taro lands, turning
rice fields into taro grounds, erecting
buildings, etc, and they would therefore
want it specified just when they could
expect their money. Lee Chu had an ex-
perience with former board in not re-
ceving his money on time and had suf-
fered financial losses. His clients did
not propose to advance money to the
Health Department which they would
virtually be doing If no provision for the
time OF payment was made.
President Cooper inquired where the
Board of Health was to get off, If the
contract was twisted and turned to suit
the contractor and not themselves. He
said that Lee Chu had accepted the ten
der advertised by the Board and had
signed the contract as It was. The ten
der called for the delivery of the paiai
at Kalaupapa landing
The attorney said that was true but
when II was taken into consideration
Il at the vessel often steamed around to
Lahaina, and around Molokai making
its last port at Kalaupapa two or three
days were consumed by this maneuyering
and the paiai would naturally be spoiled.
He said that paiai when placed in the
hold would sweat, and that spoiled 1t.
And for this the contractors Were held
responsible and their contract could be
annulled. He thought this was not right,
and asked to have that part of the con-
tract modified. He preferred to have the
paiai accepted at Honolulu. Dr. Pratt
said the Board could not guarantee the
transportation.
"Then we cannot guarantee good pal
al" returned Magoon.
Neither can the Board guarantee
monthly payment" replied the executive
officer. All bills are now paid in war
rants"
YOU can't expect these parties to go
TO all this expense and not get their pay
within a reasonable time. do you? II
that is the case. they ought to have their
bills draw interest"
DR.. Pratt reminded the attorney that
the expense the contractors were put 70
did not cut any figure with the Board
The Board had advertised for tenders
and Lee Chu had accepted Further
more. the warrants were drawing inter-
est at 6 per cent. Dr. Cooper said the
paia could not be accepted here. Several
members OF the Legislature. he said.
We're ondeayoring 20 supply the Board
with q steamer, In which case they could
make better service between here and
the settlement Mr. Dole suggested that |
r. q. smith be appointed AS a committee |
or one 90 accompany Mr.. hagoon to the |
wilder steamship office 10 ask II better .
service could not be rendered by the .
company
Thus tno affairs Of the Settlement are .
Obliged lo suner from one cause and .
another until the Legislature provides .
me DEPARTMENT with a steamer Of lis
osn Thirty hye thousand dollar have
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