The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-12-19

Governor Carriers attitude on the
home patronage question raised by the
Builders and Traders Exchange is
perfectly satisfactory to that body. a
report by W. w. Harris for the com
mittee was made last evening at a
directors meeting and was accepted
as satisfactory. Mr.. Harris reported
that the committee had been given a
courteous reception by the Governor
and he had conceded that the position
of the Exchange was well taken. He
had informed the committee that he
wished to disabuse it's members of the
opinion that the administration in
tended to call for bids on public works
from the mainland. AS long as the
local bids we're reasonable, and there
was no combination to control prices
local bidders would be given the pref
erence. The Governor also stated
that it was his view that the loan fund
should be spent among the citizens of
the Territory as much as possible and
as long as excessive prices were not
asked he would protect local bidders.
The Exchange also took up the con-
sideration of a complaint made by
contractors against the method now
obtaining in getting bids. On school
houses, the Royal School, for instance,
bids were asked on seven different sets
of specifications. Contractors are ask
ed to bid on the job as a whole, again
on the work excepting the furnishing
off I,,;l1 af,,o
ing without the painting or plumbing.
Another objection was to the provis-
ion requiring the bidders to furnish
the names of their sub-contractors.
The Exchange took the position that
while it might be proper to secure sep
arate bids on different portions of the
work, it was not right to ask bidders
to name a figure for the entire job,
and also the amount for which diff
ferent portions of the work could be
done. A committee was appointed to
investigate the matter and report at a
future meeting. The committee named
is composed of John Ouderkirk, j. H.
Craig and S. Stephenson.
A letter was read from the National
Municipal League asking for a state
ment from the Exchange as TO it's mu-
nicipal activities.
A reply from a request to J. A.
Hughes for the use of citizen labor
on o. r. & L. Co. work was read. He
said he had nothing to do with the
class of labor employed.
A letter from the secretary to the
delegate notified the Exchange of the
forwarding of copies of the Congress
sional Record.
w. NJ. Campbell also replied to a re-
quest for the employment of citizen
labor that he had not figured on Ter
ritoriai contracts, but if he did, he
intended to use citizen labor.
o. Lutted of the New England Bak-
cry who had been consulted by the sec
rotary on the same lines had expressed
his willingness to use citizen labor if
the Exchange would furnish the right
sort. Several experiences which Mr..
Lutted had with citizen labor were
enumerated as showing why he needed
this assurance. On one occasion he
had been having a. tin roof repaired
when the timer left suddenly to at
tend ball game. It needed three
other timers to repair the damage
and this was not accomplished until
Chinese had been commissioned to do
the work. The first bill was twenty
five dollars, and there were additional
bills for three times that amount. An
other experience was on a building
contract on which there had been
verbal agreement. A bill three times
the agreed upon cost had been sent in,
and Mr.. Lutted had recourse to the
courts to avoid the exorbitant charges.
A - %la1 Et1yoE
will be held very shortly.