The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-06-26

agreement provided for compensation
to be made to the plantation for plant
ing and caring for the land, and for
advances made to the settlers. With
some notifications, not material, these
are the terms finally agreed upon. The
settlers, however, get little more for
their cane.
The association men rejected the
terms of the agreement to purchase
their cane, but on the assumption that
they would assuredly not object to the
terms of the secondary, or compensa-
ton contract, Manager Ross went
ahead ploughing and planting and
ratooning the association lands.
CHANGED THE AGREEMENT.
airy agreement had been submitted to
Mr.. Ferry and virtually accepted by
him-excepting that he said that he
wanted to change it in one small par
ticular. This objection was made at
meeting with Manager Ross held in his
Office at Hakalau. Ferry took the
form of agreement to Hilo-and return
ed it, changed. The agreement had
compensated for ploughing, clearing
and planting the lands of the home
steaders, and for advances in money.
Mr.. Ferry objected to the word fclear-
81 oy,f
were too general and added a clause
to the effect that the plantation was to
be compensated for work done on the
lands only from the date that the home
steaders took possession. That was the
deadlock. The homesteaders had pre-
viously demanded seven-twelfths
share of the crop on the lands-not yet
theirs. Manager Ross took his men and
his plows and his teams off the home
stead lands. The government was
menaced with the danger of seeing
these rich acres lapse into non-produc-
tiveness. This was the condition when
Secretary Atkinson presided at that
conference in Hakalau schoolhouse,
and said things for the good of men s
souls
We had been hearing of that confer
ence desired by the Portuguese settle
ment associations all the way down the
line from Waimea. 'FI had expected to
meet the members of your association, -
the Secretary said, when we had
strolled down the road from Hakalau
plantation house to the schOolhOuse,
and found Ferry and Osorio and Fer
nandez and Alfonso there. 81 can see
you gentlemen at Hilo at any time. i
want to meet the people who are to
take up the lands
GIVE represent the associations,
said Ferry and Fernandez as with one
voice. Osorio was then, and remained,
silent throughout the entire conference,
and Alfonso spoke, presently, for the
Osorio association, of which he was a
member, although not the manager.
ATKINSON TALKS.
There was silence for a little, after
the first speaking, and then Secretary
Atkinson said: 81 am here to hear
what you have to say. [ will state in
the beginning, that the government
will take no part in any trouble you
may have with the plantation manage
ment. That is between you and the
plantation. You have made certain
agreements with the government, and
you have failed to keep those agree
ments. You promised in Honolulu, IN
return for the setting aside of these
lands for you, that you would enter
into an agreement by which the lands
would be kept in the same state of Gull
tivation as heretofore. You have not
done that-and the time is passing.
Even now, it is almost too late to
plough and plant the land. 1 do not
propose that you shall himfam the
government
1t is the plantation that will not
enter into an agreement" said Fer
nandez.
''Speaking for the Lucan assoeia
tlon, SAID Ferry, IL VIII say that the
contract offered by the plantation is
too general. They say they want US to
pay for clearing the land. What does
that meant They want US to deliver
cane alongside the fumes. They may
move numes, making delivery expen-
sive or impossible. They want US to
pay for work on the land before we get
the land. -
''That is quibble,' broke in the
Secretary. '"They have offered you a
price for your cane. They have begun
to plant your land, you to get the
crop, and it is no more than fair that
the plantation should be reimbursed. !
You are working skin game here.
81 resent that accusation that we
are working a skin game, said Alton