The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-04-21
THE HOUSE.

The House wrangled all yesterday
afternoon over the question of the flash
test for petroleum and finally those
who advocate the l20.degree flash test
won out, for the time being, at all
events. The report recommending this
was adopted and the bill passed see.
ond reading.
The bill is House Bill 1913 (Kaniho).
Reports of both the majority and mi
nority of the Finance Committee were
read, and Harris moved the adoption of
the minority report, which called for a
flash test of 100 degrees. The majority
report. signed by Fernandez, Nakuina
and Kaleiopu, called for flash test of
$50 degrees.
Harris stated that in seven states of
the Union where oil is used for fuel the
test is not over 40 degrees. An ex-
pert had stated that in the Pennsyl-
vania oil regions they burned oil at as
low as 46-degree test. The adoption
of the high-fash test here would sim
ply create a monopoly here and would
prevent many using oil for fuel. The
Board of Underwriters here who are in
terested to the extent of millions, had
-
perfectly safe test.
WHOSE MIsTAKE7
A dispute arose as to what test was
mentioned in the original bill. Harris
Committee had made a mistake by put
ting it at $50.
Greenwich, chairman of the Printing
Committee, denied the responsibility.
He SAID that he had looked up the origi-
nal bill and had found that it was
$50 therein.
"No,' said Harris, "it was 'l20, ,
but '150' had been placed above it in
pencil and the printers followed that. 7"
NOTHING SUSPICIOUS.
Smith asked if there was any reason
to be suspicious over this incident, but
Harris thought there was not
Fernandez strongly supported the $50
flash test as tending to safeguard the
interests of the public.
Kaleiopu made another long defense
of the 100 test. He declared incident
ally that the high-hash test is required
in New York where the temperature is
lower than 1t is here.
Smith interrupted and asked if Ka-
leiopu was sure of his statement.
HOT IN NEW YORK.
GIVE sweltered at ITO degrees"
said Smith, "but / have never heard
of such temperature here.
Kaleiopu objected to being inter-
rupted.
Mr.. Denison, an expert. had stated
that the Hawaiian could not be taught
the principles of combustion, but that
it was cheap labor, not cheap oil, which
caused the accidents.
Harris challenged the statement, pro-
ducing the stenographic notes of Den
isons remarks, which, he said, con,
tanned no such statement.
Kaleiopu closed with an appeal for
protection to the poor man by the
adoption of the high-fash test
PAIL SPOTS Low.
Pail introduced the personal element
when he stated that j. A. Low was the
brother-in-law of the man who was
most interested in the adoption of the
high-fash test. Low had admitted this
and the whole matter was simply one
to aid a few very rich men, not to aid
the poor. There had been no trouble
here so far and the test now is only 100
degrees, why, then, should the test be
suddenly jumped to $50 dcgrees7
Greenwich said that the whole case
was one of fight between two com.
panies, one of which wished to send in
l20degree f1ashtest oil here, while an
other wished to supply 150.degree-test
oil. The question was if 100 OIL was safe
He believed that it was, and he further
knew that if only 150-test oil was al.
lowed in the Territory, the company
controlling that oil, having a monopoly,
would raise the price of oil.
Long offered as an amendment that
a flash test of 1870 degrees should be
adopted. Harris seconded, but after.
ward withdrew his seconding.
Low-FLAsH WON.
Rice moved the previous question,
and on division the minority report was
adopted by 10 to 10.
The division was thus:
Ayes-Andrade, Aylett, Coelho, Cox,
Copp, GreenwSl, Haia, Harris, Hol-
stein, Kalino, Kaniho, Long, Mahikoa,
Pail, Quinn, Rice, Sheldon, Smith,
Warehouse 10.
Noes Broad, Fernandez. Kalawaia
Kaleiopu, Lewis, Lilikalani, Maize.
Iona, Nakuina, Pulaa, Shipman-10.
Andrade introduced a bill at the re-
quest of the Rapid Transit Company to
allow the company to fix the maximum
rate of the speed of its cars ar any
time, subject to the approval of the
Governor and the Superintendent oil
Public Works.