The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-01-17
HIGH
VS.. P|AKHAM


after the President OF the Board OF
Health asked the Attorney General FOR
an opinion as to whether he had the
power to refuse to accept lumber under
the High contract, In the event that IL
should be shown that the lumber was
handled or dressed by Asiatic labor.
Mr.. Andrews quoted the law to Mr.
| Pinkham who at once sat down and
wrote to Mr. High the following let
| ter:
Honolulu. Hawaii, January g. 1906.
Peter High Esq. Honolulu. 4. H.
Dear Sir: My attention having been
called to a claim that your lumber Is
handled and milled by alien labor. an
opinion has been asked from the At
torney General whether. II such Is the
case. this department could legally ac-
cept lumber so handled and milled.
Opinion 81 informs me that this de-
partment cannot accept lawfully lum-
Der so handled or milled. l should be
pleased to receive a statement In writ
ing relative to this matter. should this
request meet with your pleasure.
Yours very truly,
L. e. PINKHAM,
President Board of Health
The story of this incident, without
the letter OF Pinkham, was published
In the Advertiser at the time and Mr..
Highs statement that he did not en-
pioy Asiatic labor was also printed.
AS TO the president of the Board of
Health Mr.. High answered his letter,
proper answer enough, in view of
the fact that MIR. High Is an American
citizen, not a criminal, and entitled
under any Interpretation of law to
know the name of his accuser. This
is what Mr. High wrote TO the presi-
dent of the Board of HEALTH
Honolulu, January 10, 1905.
L. Il. Pinkham Esq. President
of the Board of Health
Dear Sir: If you will be so kind as
to inform me who called your atten-
ton to the matter in question referred
to in your letter of January the third.
1905, and what the object of the claim
was, l will not in the least object to
answering any or all questions relative
to the matter.
Yours very truly.
PETER HIGH.
This. of course, was lese majestic on
the part of High. The next letter from
the president OF the Board OF Health
shows it. The Idea of a mere lumber
mill man daring to dream OF question
ing the president of the Board OF
Health! Preposterous! With the tact OF
ready letter writer Pinkham sat
down at his typewriter, or had Gov
eminent stenographer sit down at his
typewriter and crushed High, as thus:
Honolulu. January IL, 1905.
Peter High Esq. Honolulu
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 10th
inst. to hand.
Your questions are not pertinent to
the subject in hand.
Kindly reply to my letter giving the
information desired.
Yours very truly,
L. e. PINKHAM,
President Board of Health.
By G. Charlock.
And not content with this Pinkham
thought that he would crush what life
the avalanche of his own wrath had
left in High by rolling down upon that
audacious rebel the little pebble of his
secretary. The secretary, obeylng the
order of his High Mightiness, wrote as
follows to High
Honolulu, January 10, 1905.
Peter High esq, Honolulu
Dear Sir: / am directed by the presi-
dent of the Board of Health to request
an answer to his communication of the
81 inst copy of which you will please
find enclosed.
Yours very truly,
c. CHARLOCK,
Secretary Board of Health.
1t produced results all right The
rebel was heard from. although not
exactly as Pinkham had hoped he
would be, perhaps. In fact, Mr.. High
did not show any appreciation of be-
ing crushed at all, although he replied
to the letter of the president of the
Board of Health as he had been ordered
to do. He showed, on the contrary, a
rather shrewd sense of his own right
under the law and a somewhat re-
markable disposition to stand up for
his manhood, even against the weight
of Pinkhams wrath. 1t is a surprising
thing what these stiff-necked Ameri-
cans will do when they think that their
rights are assailed. Clearly Pinkham
could not have received much comfort
from the answer of Mr.. High, which
follows:
Honolulu, Hawaii January IL, 1905.
l.. Il. Pinkham, Esq,
President Board of Health,
Honolulu, Hawaii
Sir: Under date of January 3, 1905,
you wrote me that your attention had
been called to a claim" that my lum-
Der is handled and milled by alien la
Dor and that you have been advised
by the Attorney General that your de-
partment could not legally accept lum-
Der so handled and milled. Under date
Of January 10. 1905, i received from
your secretary request that your
of the Sd inst. be an
'wered. On yesterday 1 made inquiry
from you, asking the name of the per-
son who called your attention to the
matter and what the object of the
claim was. I am now in receipt of your
letter of today, telling me that my in
quiry was not pertinent.
1t would seem to me that when your