The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-08-22

The joint meeting of the Merchants
Association called with the object Cf
listening to the report of j G. Pratt.
special commissioner to Washington for
the united bodies on behalf of the fire
claims bill, convened in the Castle and
Cooke assembly hall at 2:l5 this after
noon.
Those present at the commencement
of the meeting included w. G. Irwin, b.
D. Tenney, Fred Macfarlane, f. A.
Shaefer, l.. e. Pinkham, M. Phillips
w. w. Hail. c. Nj. Cooke, J. G.. Pratt
]. p. Cooke, J. A. McCandless, George
Carter, w. W. Harris F. l.. Waldron,
Frank Foster J. G. Spencer and Z. r.
Helm
The meeting was called to order by
w. G.. Irwin, he and f. w. Macfarlane
as presidents of the two associations
acting as Joint chairmen. J. G. Spen-
Ger was appointed secretary for the
joint meeting. w. w. Hall, chairman
of the Joint committee read the fol-
lowing report.
The Joint Committee from the Cham
Der of Commerce and the Merchants
Association appointed to elect a Dele
gate to go to Washington and secure il
possible an appropriation from the
Uni,ed States Government for the pay
ment of the losses incurred in the sup
preston of the bubOnlC plague in Ho-
noiuIu during 1893 and 1900, begs leave
. to report.
Tne committee held several meetings
about the first of April of this year,
and decided upon Mr.. Joseph q. Pratt
as the man best qualified TO undertake
the mission to Washington, on account
of his familiarity with the details of all
the Fire Claims, and his intimate ac-
quaintance with several members of
Congress.
Mr.. Pratt after carefully considering
| the proposition accepted the trust and
| after securing all necessary statistics,
! information and letters to influential
members of Congress, he started on his
mission April 9th and arrived in WASH
ington April %. 1t is hardly necessary
to mention that while in San Francisco,
for few days, he secured the hearty
! cooperation of the Chamber of Com
merce and influential men of that city,
| all of which was reported in the San
! Francisco papers of that date.
After arriving in Washington Mr..
| Pratt began immediately to fam'!iarize
/ himself with the best methods to be
used in presenting the claims that he
represented. He secured the aid of
many good friends to the cause, and
worked diligently to secure the object
for which he was sent.
! Upon the advice of influential mem
bers in Congress, having friendly in
terest in Hawaii, the Committee on
Pacific Isles and Porto lticO, invited
| q presentation of the facts re-
speCting the Fire Claims to, be
submitted to the Committee for it's con-
| sideraLiOn, which was done, and after
| due consideration it reported favOrably
upon the measure, in the form of an
amendment to the Deficiency bill which
amendment was referred to the Senate
Committee on appropriations, and re-
ported favorably, and in due time was
passed by the Senate.
The House refused to concur to the
Senate amendment The chairman of
the committee on Pacific Isles and POr-
to Rico Immediately reported faVOTably
TO the Senate on a bill providing for the
relief of Hawaii, to be taken up early in
the coming session in December Your
Committee are unanimous i'm the OPT
nion that everything possible has b"cn
done by our Delegate to present our
claims and push them with intelligence
and tact up to the last moment.
AS Mr.. Pratt is present to give a full
account of his mission at this joint
meeting of the Chamber of Commerce
and the Merchants Association we
leave all details of his work for him tC
| relate
Your Committee was also given the
task of raising the funds required tC
defray the expenses of this mission, anC
take pleasure in reporting that the
sum of $4,000 has been raised and paIt
in to the Treasurer Mr.. S h. Damon
OF this amount Mr.. Pratt has drawn fo
salary, travelling and other expenses
the sum of $3,016 which leaves a bal
ance of $1,074 in the hands of the Trea'
surer.
Mr.. Pratt returned from Washington
July 80 having been absent on his mis-
= sion three and two-thirds months.
This Committee is very enph ltic II
the opinion that Mr.. Pratt VAS emf
nently qualified for the mission UT
which he was sent, that he has bceI
most conscientious and untirins in hi
efforts, and that he has Leen care /"
, and economical in the expenditure o
the funds placed at his disposal.
1t will be the duty of this meeting t,
- decide the manner in which the balanc
, now in the hands of the COmmitte
! shall be disposed of.
Respectfully submitted,
VIM. w. HALL,
Chairman.
The following gentlemen compose,
the Joint COMMITTEES:
= Chamber of Commerce: ]. p. Cooke
n chairman; George w. Smith S. E. Da
mon.
Merchants Association: w. w. Hal
i chalrman Ed. McInerny, j. F. Hum
u berg.
i ]. p. Cooke moved that report be ac
cepted and the committee discharged
This was amended by George Carte
\ that the committee be retained unit
next fall, the funds remaining over fo
possible contingencies. NJ. Phillip
= seconded the motion which was carrie
% | unanimously. Upon the request