Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-04
TWO MERCANTILE BODIES
TAKE UNITED ACTION
To Send Man to Washington to
Promote a $3,OOO,OOO Fire
Claims Bill and Speed
the Cable.

respectively, yesterday dlttIHOOu COll-
mittees we're appointed to raise funds
and agree upon a joint representative
to go to Washington, leaving in the
steamer China next Tuesday, to urge
the introduction in Congress Of a bill
appropriating nearly $4,000, 900 for the
payment of the fire claims arising out
Of the epidemic of bibonic plague in
lS99-19O0. and to urge also the con-
struction of the Mackay cable to Ha-
wall. The committees appointed are:
Chamber of Commerce.. =. Cooke
chairman; S. +. Damon and G.. w
Smith.
Merchants Association-W. W. Hall,
chairman; J. f. Hamburg, L. A. Me-
Inerny.
The joint committee met at ass and
decided to canvass members OF the two
bodies, together with Chinese and ia
panese merchants. for the money need
ed to send on the representative.
The Chamber of Commerce met in
the elegant room set apart for its use
for ninety-nine years in the new build
luB vi t1dihltlu N N.Dss l.NNss lll6 Ut-
ing its first meeting there, Gesides
c. NJ. Cooke, president. and J. Gordon
Spencer, secretary. there we're present:
J. +. Hackfeld, II. A. lsenberg. u. +.
Dillingham;. Geo. II. Robertson. J. ].
Egan. +. NJ. Swanzy, w. w. Hall. S. L.
Damon, NJ. S. Grinbaum, J. d. Ather-
ton, F.. A. Schaefer. W. +. Allen. ]. =.
Cooke, W. NJ. Giffard, George w. Smith
w. L. Hopper, w. w. Hail.
President Cooke, on calling the meet
ing to order, spoke of the gift of Hack
field 4 Co. in giving the Chamber such
magnificent apartment in which to
hold its meetings. "In expressing our
thanks to the house of II. Hackfeld a
Co., in permitting us to have the usa
of this ROOM" said he, 81 think we all
ought to feel that II is an incentive to
us to commence to enlarge the mem.
bership and scope of the Chamber OF
Commerce. The firm was even thought.
full enough to put in telephone which
the secretary has at his elbow to call
up delinquent members. although in
future hope he won't have to do much
Of this. ] think we ought to enlarge
the Chamber OF Commerce and make
II more OF a power for the advance.
ment of navigation. agriculture. indus.
try and commerce (pointing to the
words emblaZoned on the ceiling). anf
do what we can to bring in new mem
bers. think voice the sentiment o
every member in this regard" Mr.
Cookies remarks were met with q
burst of applause.
The chair stated that the purpose o
the meeting was to consider the prop,
ositions regarding the payment of tn,
fire claims and to urge the laying Of
the Mackay cable to Hawaii. the meet
ing having been called by Ave of tn,
members.
J. p. Cooke said the matter he de.
sired to bring to the attention of the
! Chamber was the fire claims. II,
thought something should be done bS
Congress to assist paying of tn,
claims, The Legislature had appro
priated about S2.OOO,OOO for this pur
pose but the burden Of paying then
would fall upon the taxpayers anC
would be excessive. There had beer
something said about having Congress,
aid the Territory, but nothing def
mite had yet been accomplished al
Washington. The time was gettinl
late and action should be taken t
bring the matter squarely to the at
tention OF Congress. Steps should bC
taken to send representative OF tn,
Chamber of Commerce and the Mer
chants Association to Washington I,
push the question from now until tn,
end OF the session. Mr.. Cooke present
cd the following resolution:
Resolved, That II Is the sense O
the Chamber of Commerce that IL 4
expedient that a special representative
or representatives be chosen TO pro
coed to Washington, d. c.. to present
In the proper quarters, the importanc
OF the measure authorizing assistanc
by the Federal government In the nay
ment OF the so-called fire claims re
sulting from the efforts to suppress IN
epidemic OF bubOnic plague In 1900
and be II further
Resolved, That a committee of thre
be appointed to confer with the Mer
chants Association upon the subIec,
with power to act on behalf of thi
Chamber in the choice of such repre-
sentation and the compensation 10 b
paid,
President Cooke said that as Nj
Haywood and George K. Carter were /
Washington, they probably could b
Instructed to act for the two local OF
CARNATIONS and thus save the expens
OF sending representative from lie
nolulu. Mr.. Spencer stated that at IN
last meeting of the Chamber he wa
instructed to write to Mr.. Haywoo
requesting him to look after such
matter should 1t be brought to Wash
ington, and assist in pushing
through.
J. b. Atherton said that whateve
action was taken there must be a hi
introduced in Congress. Il was sul
gested some time ago that the custom
house receipts at Honolulu be remi
ted to the Territory for three year
which would probably amount
enough in that time to pay off tn
claims. He thought this unconstit,
tional. The government could not d