The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-08-09

AND WARRANTS
FIRE CLAIMS MUDDLE AND WHAT
is LIKELY TO BE THE
RESULT.
HAS THE COMMISSION GONE OUT
OF EXISTENCE?
Has Not Adjourned Sine Die and viii
. Not Do So Yet-Clerk Riggs and the
Fees.

The Fire Claims muddle does not inn
prove with further discussion of the
various phases by attorneys and others
interested. Some of the claimants are
trying to find a way to get warrants
on their awards, While the Commission
ers, after consultations with Governor
Dole ana the Executive Council, are do
ing all that can be done TO prevent the
issuance of warrants.
On the part of the government it is
| desired to delay issuing warrants until
Congress meets again and takes up the
matter of an appropriation. Commits
siOner Pratt, who went to Washington
on the proposition, says that the issu-
ance of warrants now would be fatal
to the chance of getting the appropria-
ton of Sl,OOO,OO from Congress.
The reason assigned by Commissioner
Pratt for abandoning hope if the war
( rants are issued, is, that congress will
! look on an issuance of warrants as
! payment of the debt and will say to
request for an appropriation, why, the
claims are raid; warrants on the Treas
ury have already been received by the
| claimants"
| Another reason why the government
does not wish to give out the warrants
is because it is thought that a general
circulation of warrants unpaid, and dis
counting them all round, would greatly
! injure the credit of the government.
For this reason the government wants
to have the money on hand to pay the
warrants when they are issued.
e. c. Peters, of Magoon q Peters,
said this morning that there would
probably be no further immediate ac-
ton to get warrants by his firm Many
of the others interested were waiting
/ In fHa ff.Nv,
ters would carry on the fight.
Judge Gears decision yesterday con-
tained one statement that has an inn
portant bearing on the present situa-
ton. The judge stated that the Com
mission ceased to exist when its awards
had all been made This is contrary to
the position taken by the Commission
ers, who have not yet adjourned sine
die. They are still ready to meet at
the call of the chair, and it is not un-
likely that there will be another meet
ing, to discuss the matter of fees for
certificates, of which the Commission
will be deprived ii Gear is sustained.
If the Commission has passed out of
existence, its books and records are
supposed to be turned over to Auditor
Austin, who Is then in full charge. 1t
is said that a writ of mandamus
against him would be Intellectual now,
in view of Judge Gears decision, that
the Fire Commission had no right to is
sue certificates a all. Without certi-
ticates or the records Of the Commits
sion, the Auditor has nothing on which
he can issue a warrant. 1t would be
necessary first to mandamus Riggs ia
turn over the Judgment records to Aus
tin, and then Austin could be manda-
musscd 10 give out warrants.
The fee proposition may resolve itself
into contest between Riggs and the
Fire Claims Commission, as well as be-
tween the Commission and some OF the
claimants. Judge Gears decision was
clearly to the effect that the money
collected for the certificates belongs tC
Riggs, unless it is returned to those
who paid it in Riggs takes the same
view, but doesn't think ne did S. 0OC
worth of work in making them out, and
ii Gear is sustained the result viii
probably be that the clerk will give ou
Continued on page hve).