The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-06-06

WILL PAY
MERCHANTS
Fire Commission
Charges a
Fee.

The court ~ Gre commissioners com
uletsd their labors yesterday morning
and will file their awards as soon -
the remainder Of the certificates have
been signed A. a final climax To their
labors the commission devised way
by which they will pay back the $4,000
borrowed from the Honolulu merchants
a few months ago TO carry the work
II the fire court TO the end. This will
be done by charge of a small fee To
each claimant when he receives the
certificate Of award.
Following the completion of their la
bors yesterday morning the fire COM
nissioners called upon Governor Coop
er and so reported. receiving the
thanks of the acting executive.
Notices OF the awards in a good many
cases are already in the hands of Audi
tor Austin, and as soon as they are
announced by the fire courts the GER
tiBcates will be given out. The awards
will be announced within "A few weeks
and only a small number will be given
out each day, so that neither auditor
nor commission will be overworked. All
the awards have now been signed ex-
cepting FIVE books by Commissioner r.
J. Tesla. j. q. Pratt. who is now in
Washington, has not signed, but as II
requires only n majority of the sigma
lures OF the commissioners to make the
award legal and binding. there will be
no delay because OF his absence. The
commission examined over 600 claims,
and the total of the awards Will reach
into the millions. The appropriation
made by the Legislature was but 81 800
900, but the awards of the court will be
mere than that sum 1t Is thought, as
Commissioner Pratt has asked for an
appropriation from Congress of $1,000
900. This was the aggregate of the
claims filed. but the court reduced this
amount considerably. and 1t would not
oe great surprise If the final figures
showed that the total awards We're
within the estimate OF the Legislature,
or at least not in excess of S20OO,0OO.
The certificates of award will now be
placed in the hands of the auditor, who
in turn will make out the warrants
upon the treasurer. These warrants
viii he payable in one, two and three
years respectively, so that as matter
OF fact the claims are not payable for
one year yet,
Undoubtedly however, the warrants
can be discounted at the local banks,
az has been done in other cases.
Following the signing of the records
of Judgments the commission went into
executive session, when the following
resolution was introduced by Commits
sioner Kepoikai, by which 1t is hoped
tn secure a sufficient return for the
nayment of the expenses of the COM
mission In excess Of the Appropriation:
That the chairman be and is hereby
empowered to oversee the clerk in COM
pleting the records and other clerical
work of the commission to make up "A
financial statement of the receipts and
disbursements Of the commission; to
make up a general report of the work
of the commission to the governor; Ia
issue certificates of awards to claim
ants and to collect n fee for each GER
tificate of award based upon the fol-
lowing schedule:
Awards of $50 and under ....,....$0 q
Awards of 800 and under .......... 5C
Awards of $500 and under ........ | OC
Awards OF $500 and over .......... OC
And from the proceeds of the above
and any other funds of the commission
TO liquidate all outstanding obligations
OF the commission, including the ad-
vances to the commission by the mer-
chants of Honolulu to the amount OF
$4,000, and interest thereon at the rate
Of per cent per annum, together with
such other expenses incurred and nee
essary to be incurred incident to the
closing up of the work of this commits
sion.
The resolution was seconded by Com
ing in favor of it excepting Commits
sioner Tesla, who offered the following
amendment:
Awards of $50 and under ..........$0 Q
For every $50 or fraction thereof
from $50 TO $500 .................. 9
Awards of $500 to- $500 ............ G.
For every 500 or fraction thereof
from $500 to $1,000 ................ s
For every 800 or fraction thereof
There being no second the origina
motion was adopted. An estimate o
the returns under the fee rule has beef
made. and the commissioners eXpec
to be able to pay from it all the eX
penses of the court in excess of tn
appropriation, including the $4,000 Dor
rowed from Honolulu merchants.