Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-11-13
DISCUSSION ON FILED PROTEST
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rates than the man who went In and
bought only few dollars worth.
This contractor was further Of the
opinion that some protection should
be given to the regularly established
contractors of the city As II was, 1t
had been the custom, for houses to sell
to anybody, whether they had any
! financial standing or not, and trust to
the Lien Law for their money.
During the argument, II was claim
ed by a representative of the dealers
of the city that they had always treat
ed contractors with the greatest of
consideration. They had been com
PEELED 10 carry a very large stock Of
all kinds of goods and on account OF
the wealth of the city, q great deal Of
very expensive material had to be
carried. When they figured on con-
tract they supplied the material and
never expected to get their money I'M
iii the joO had been completed. While
they were willing to DO that and to
continue to do It, they felt that the
contractors should appreciate the Cour-
tesy and make their purchases in town
| instead of sending 70 the Coast for
their materials.
Whenever Local contractor had
/ put in figure which would not per-
nit MN to pay the local stock prices,
| the supply houses were always glad
to purchase the materials for the con-
tractors concerned on a small COM
mission.
At this point, one Of the general
contractors remarked that 1t would
be cheaper for q contractor to buy
through the local supply houses on Il
commission basis than 20 send direct,
on account Of the risks that the con-
signee must assume. the loss In break
age, the local supply houses assuming
the responsibility for ioss, damage and
breakage in most cases, whereas main
land houses would not
An instance OF a contractor on the
Coast was brought up by way of Illus
tration. 1t was necessary for him 10
pay for a certain article three times
over The first two times the article
had been broken. This was not only
a money loss but loss of valuable
time.
A representative Of another supply
house stated he had been informed
that the Territorial government, In one
instance at least had sent back east
and obtained quotations on certain
article carried in stock in the city and
that the advertisements calling Tor
tenders for this particular article had
not been published until after the fig.
ures had been received from the main
land manufacturing establishments
1t was the general opinion that the
new governor would he In sympathy
with any legitimite attempt to supply
Hawaiian needs from Hawaiian houses
and also that the general discussion
Of the matter in the press would even
tually result in creating The same kind
of local pride which EXISTS in every
ether wide awake city in America.
II was stated that in San Francisco
eastern men could not come in and bid
on anything directly Even the labor
unions refused TO put in eastern ma
terial in instances where there was
California material of equally good
quality be had.
The Board of Directors did not de-
/, sire the impression TO go abroad that
there was any boycott or illegal means
contemplated 10 force the trade of
the city, or any attempt TO do anything
IN violation OF the Interstate Com
merce Law. 1t was thought, however
that healthy spirit of cooperation
between the contractors and material
houses would not only be of benefit
TO both but would he a great advan,
tage to the city. II would result In
keeping large sums of money In tn,
, country which would otherwise be sent
to the mainland.
One of the material men present
said the contractors and government
were by no means the only ones who
were at fault. There was CROWNS
disposition on the part of the planta
tons TO buy on the Coast. to the de
triment OF Honolulu, even in instances
where goods could be obtained her,
or through Honolulu houses at prac
tiCally the same figures. He claimed
that while the plantations might saw,
. few thousand dollars a year, tn,
stockholders in business in the coun
try would be benefited to a much larg
: er amount than the amount saved b!
the plantations taken as whole. II
other words, so far as the individual
stockholders were concerned il wal
money in the pockets of the planta
tons to pay little more for the SAX,
Of purchasing goods at home