The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-04-18

II has been handled in a most unbuSi-
nesslike manner. and presented great
temptation to those in charge OF 1t,
which unfortunately some OF them were
unable to resist.
After the admission by w. n. Wright,
Treasurer. Of abstracting money of
which ne was in charge, he should not
have been permitted to go except I'M
der the surveillance of an officer.
We believe that Governor Dole did
not use his customary good judgment,
after he was informed OF wright's
delinquency. in not ordering his imme-
date arrest or placing him under
surveillance. and was wrong in follow
ing. Secretary Cooper's advice to give
him farther time to make good his
shortage
we believe that Governor Dole and
Secretary of the Territory Cooper from
their silence in not Immediately calling
the attention Of Acknowledgement Dole
to the fact of wright's confession Of
abstracting those government moneys
aided him in making his escape from
the Territory.
we advise that the whole fund be
placed in the Treasury and that it be
paid out to the owners of claims
against the late Hawaiian Postal Saw
ings Bank as quickly as it can be done
with regard to its getting into the prop
er hands.
And with this view submit herewith
an Act appointing a Board to super
wise and facilitate the disbursement Of
this Chinese Fund" and as soon as
possible placing the amount in the
hands of the parties to whom it proper
ly belongs.
The fact that the Auditor General
did not discharge his duty in the SUI
pervision of the accounts of the several |
is no excuse for the neg
ligence of the several heads thereof, |
which gave opportunity for |
N our opinion to criminal carelessness.
In Mr. Cooper's evidence will be
ound the statement that w. H. Wright
informed him that the abstraction (by
him, Wright of Government funds had
been going on for two years and half.
If such statement is true. as to the
,eriod of time, then it would go to show
hat the abstraction of money from the
general funds of the Territory was
made good by taking from the "Chi-
lese Fund of sufficient money to meet
he shortage and would account for
he uneven amount covered by the 1.
}. U.
That I. o. U. presents some peculiar
1t is written in three shades
f ink-date in one shade-body of
ocument in another-and signature in
mother But further investigation is
AIRED by the absence of w. H. Wright.
nd we have TO accept the I. o. U. as a
onfession of guilt.
With regard to Locker No. 2, the key
as found in the bookkeeper's safe. +
If. Cooper testifies that Mr.. Hapai in
,rmed him that he (HapaD could find
lie key-and proceeded to do So
Mr.. Hapai admits the finding of the
ey. but asserts that it was purely a
and without prior knowl- a
lge on his part.
Section 1OS of the Organic Act pro-
des as follows: THAT any money of
e Hawaiian Postal Savings Bank that
lall remain unpaid to the persons en-
tied thereto on the first day of July. :
OF, and any assets of said bank shall Z
turned over by the government of =
avail to the treasurer of the United
ates. and the Secretary of the Treas =
Y shall cause an account to be start
+, as of said date, between such gov
nment of Hawaii and the United 70
ates in respect to said Hawaiian Pos .
Savings Bank"
It is clearly evident, by the provisions ~
the foregoing section of the Organic
t. that all money remaining unpaid %
the persons thereto entitled on July a
/, 1901, in the Hawaiian Postal Saw a.
IS Bank shall be turned over by the ~
of Hawaii to the treasurer ie
the United States, and how the same as
pped from the mind of the then At %
so that he Illegally adj y
ed the executive of the territory to q
thdraw the money from the First y
tional Bank of Hawaii. its rightfui
ce, is a mystery to your committee. -
md your committee, therefore, is of %
, opinion that the First National a
nix of Hawaii was remiss in paying .,
money on drafts endorsed by Henry
Cooper personally and not officially.
We present herewith a large mass of
timony. much of it contradictory, -
all of it showing a strong tendency
shift the blame from one to another. -
ing however undeniable proof of
crastination and delay. resulting in
escape Of the person claimed to be