The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-22
Two Days Spent as Guests of
the Rainy City Com
mitteeS.
Many Hearings Are Given and the Commission
Hopes to Close Its Hardest Work
This Coming Week.

HILO, Sept. 20.-Hilo has finished.
For two days and half the Rainy city
has entertained and interested the sub
committee of Senators now here in
vestigating and right handsomely have
both objects been accomplished Tonight
the steamer Helene leaves for Honolulu
bearing the visitors who have signified
their approval of much that is close to
the hearts of the big islanders
Hilo has added to the quota of the
trio of Senator'S more than one new
experience. Since their arrival here
Thursday the Investigators have been
kept busy, for their first hearing began
within twenty minutes after they had
hit the beach. and until couple of
hours before sailing time there has been
steady round of work and sight see
ing. The committee has been impartial
in it's devotion to both features, hearing
every one from the poorest squatter at
Olaa to the circuit judge and seeing
everything from the reef which may
bear a breakwater, to a lava spouting
volcano. The last named would have
been omitted perhaps but for the fact
that Olaa had to be visited and the
hearing of the land question there was
an incident of the excursion to Hale
maumau.
Little indeed of the windward side of
Hawaii has escaped the vigilant eyes
of Senators Mitchell, Foster and Bur
ton and the record of the hearings con-
the various topics which the work so
far has developed as being attractive to
the investigators. Land and water, Re
publican methods and principles and
crown lands all have come in for their
share of comment and. in addition to
these the visitors have seen the harbor,
the commerce and the products, looked
over lands and improvements and in
general have gathered views which can
not fail to leave impress upon the re-
port which they will submit to the Con-
SISSS WHICH SGllL tneIn mere. DSSlQC
this have had taste of the hospitality
of the Hilo folk and right well have
they been entertained.
Immediately upon the arrival of the
Claudine on Thursday afternoon at 2:30
o'clock the members of the party dis
tributed themselves to the homes of
their entertainers and within a half
hour were as hard at work as they
could be. The session of the commit
tee was held in the circuit court room
and the citizens turned out right well.
After dinner there was another session
and thus until nearly IL O'Clock the
commission hammered away. One of
the most important questions was coffee
and the commission got its information
first hand from such men as A. L.
Louisson, Albert Horner, Terry, Lyman
and others Incidentally there was
most interesting side light thrown up
on the small farmer proposition, for
the same men were able to show that
after years of effort they were unable
to make any success of varied agricul-
ture, all agreeing that until science had
furnished remedy for the pests which
afflict vegetation the task would be
difficult.
While the Senators were busy the
ladies of the party were being enter
tanned at dinners and the only reason
that a banquet was not rendered the
visitors as a whole was because there
was too much to be done and too little
time in which to do it. The hearings
had to be concluded Thursday night as
the program left no opportunity for fur
ther sessions. The most noticeable
thing about the entire trip was that
the Hawaiians did not seem to want to
take any part in the hearings or the
reception given upon the arrival of the
party. Not a single one appeared to
enter a plea, nor did one make any de-
termined effort to put before the Sena-
tors a reason for any change in the
laws or government.
Friday was the signal for sight-see-
ing At nine o'clock in the morning the
local committee had the Senators in
tow and took them for launch ride
in the harbor Not only Hilo Bay but