Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-09-11

very wide range Of business enterprises
into which the company may embark.
Hands Not Clean.
Colonel Parker had gone to Wash.
ington backed up by the planters of
Kohala and had tried to get a grant,
utterly ignoring. the agreement made,
and the speaker contended that the
Hawaii Ditch Company had not gone
before the committee in Washington
with clean hands. colonel Jones was
referred to as minor official of the
Territory of Hawaii. The inference
can be drawn by you.
Senator Burton had asked McCros-
sen to state to the Commission just
what he had to me with reference to
Governor Dole and the others, and he
had gone into long explanation of
three-quarters Of a page, which was
non.responsive. senator Blackburn
asked twice for information from Nc.
Crossen and then finally asked point
blank II he did or did not believe the
attitude of Governor Dole would pre-
vent his securing franchise from the
Territorial officials.
The answer was tnat they would be
held up by the opposition and the
whole thing would result in endless
litigation. He further stated that
Commissioner E. S. Boyd had said that
II there was no agreement between the
two companies then the government
would put the franchise up at auction.
McCrossen denied again that Parker
had ever made an agreement with
Jones and himself. II was stated that
and he was so situated that he was
compelled to act on account OF the at
titude OF certain Territorial officials.
Careful investigation.
McCrossen further stated that the
most careful investigation had been
made by his company OF the water sup
ply in the Kohala mountains previous
to the coming OF water seekers from
the States. Investigations had been
made time and again and the people in
terested were thoroughly satisfied.
Mr.. Gehr then referred to a letter
furnished him by Mr.. Ballou at a
time when It was thought that the
agreement between the two companies
was sure to go through. This letter
was from Engineer O'Shaugnessy OF
San Francisco and asked for informa-
ton regarding the preliminary work.
This letter was received, said Mr.. Gehr,
when he and his engineers had been in
the mountains for weeks doing the
very work that o'Shaugnessy has sent
for information about. The letter was
dated May 30, 1901.
Documents Requested.
At this point, Mr.. Gehr asked Mr..
McCrossen to produce the original of
the contract. This he said was to
show that there had been an agree
ment. Mr.. Mechanism objected, stat
ing that the contract was pun ely pri-
vate matter.
Mr.. Gehrthen called for the original
lease of Pukapu. the lease under which
the company claimed the right to the
waters Of Waipio and the Laupahoehoe
lease.
Senator Mitchell stated that Mr..
Gehr's request having been made, 1t
was for the other side to act. II they
refused to present the documents, the
Commission could pass on the matter.
The speaker then said that he wished
to repeat under oath every word he had
said in Washington, this to be incor-
porated as the conclusion to his state
ment. He would also call on Mr.. Nc
Crossen to veryify his own statements
in Washington.
Asked for Suggestion.
Mitchell-What would you recon-.
mend that Congress should do looking
toward the public good?
Mr.. Gehr answered that he believed
a bill similar to that or Senator For
aker, with restrictions, would be most
satisfactory. The poweN should be
placed in the hands OF the Territorial
officials with the approval Of the Sec
i'tdiS VI tht ihlciiois ohouiu a iiah-
chise be granted.
Continuing, Mr.. Gehr said: 81 hasa
my claim to recognition on prior work
and also on the agreement with Col.
Parker. We are fully prepared finan-
cially and are ready to proceed at once
We have $4,000 ready to throw into
the preliminary work of years dura-
ton. So far we have spent $1,000 out
side Of our own expenses. II any OF
my statements are contradicted, / will
bring other witnesses before this Com
mission"
Mr.. Gehr having finished his state
ment, the Commission went into execu-
tive session to consider various COM
munications 1t had received. This af-
ternoon will be heard the other side of
the ditch question.