The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-04-21

| We believe that Governor Dole die
not use his customary good judgment
after he was informed of Wright'f
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 Attorney-Gene Dole
to the fact of Wrght'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
departments is no excuse for the neg
ligence of the several heads thereof, a
negligence which gave opportunity for
wholesale embeZzenent and amounted
in our opinion to criminal carelessncSs.
In Mr. Cooper's evidence will be
found the statement that w. II. Wright
informed him that the abstraction (by
him, Wright of Government funds had
been going on for two years and a half
If such statement is true, as to the
period of time, then it would go to show
that the abstraction of money from the
general funds of the Territory was
made good by a taking from the Chi
nese Fund of sufficient money to meet
the shortage and would account for
the uneven amount covered by the /.
O. U.
That l. O. U. presents some peculiar
features. 1t Is written in three shades
of ink-date in one Shade-body of
document in another-and signature in
another. But further investigation is
barred by the absence of w. II. Wright,
and we have to accept the l. o. L. as a
of guilt.
With regard to Locker No. ., the key
was found in the bookkeeper's safe.
Mr.. Cooper testifies that Mr.. Hapai in
formed him that he GHapaD could find
the key-and proceeded to do so.
Mr.. Hapai admits the finding of the
key but asserts that it was purely
accidental and without prior knowl- |.
edge on his part. /
Section 1903 of the Organic Act pro- I
vides as follows: THAT any money of ,
he Hawaiian Postal Savings Bank that '
shall remain unpaid to the persons en- .
titled thereto on the first day of July,
1901. and any assets of said bank shall
be turned over by the government of
Hawaii to the treasurer of the United
States, and the Secretary of the Treas
Try shall cause an account to be start
ed, as of said date, between such gov
eminent of Hawaii and the United
States in respect to said Hawaiian Pos
al Savings Bank
1t Is clearly evident, by the provisions
II the foregoing section of the Organic
Act, that all money remaining unpaid
% the persons thereto entitled on July
st, 1901, in the Hawaiian Postal Saw
ngs Bank shall be turned over by the
government of Hawaii to the treasurer
# the United States, and how the same
Tipped from the mind OF the then At
Orney- General so that he illegally adj
Used the executive of the terri DRY to
withdraw the money from the First
National Bank of Hawaii, its rightfui
'lace, is mystery to your committee.
And your committee, therefore. is of
he opinion that the First National
Sank of Hawaii was remiss in paying
he money on drafts endorsed by Henry
J, Cooper personally and not officially.
We present herewith a large mass of
estimony, much of 1t contradictory,
nut all of it showing a strong tendency
O shift the blame from one to another,
living however undeniable proof of
and delay, resulting in
he escape of the person claimed to be
utility We believe that the passage
f the Act, hereinbefore referred to and
'hiCh we present herewith, is the best
olution of the questions relating to
his "Chinese Fund" ana can but hope
hat the exposure of this whole matter
,il prevent "A recurrence of the dis
raceful carelessness on the part OF
government ofncers, ana prove the I'M
erative necessity of demanding sutii-
lent bonds from all government EN-
loyees having charge of public funds.
Under all the circumstances your |
cannot recommend the in I
ertion in the Appropriation in the APP |
ropriaton Bill of any amount to cover
V. II, Wright's shortage, and lays the
csronsibility for the loss of the money ,
pom the shoulders of those who par &
cipated in withdrawing the same from |
6 rightful pace of deposit. I
There will undoubtedly be an I'M g
laimed balance of the Chinese Fund |
nd we suggest that an appropriation
, cover said shortage is unnecessary. l
acts may develop at a future time
hrowing more light on this shortage t
nd proper legislation may then be had
pr the purpose OF making good the S
honey lost in the manipulation OF this
rust fund. q