Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-01-11
MERCHANTS Want TEST
ASK TO DEFER FILING
EXHIBITS TO T1AT END
OPPOSE THE CORPORATION PUB.
LiciTY LAW-GivEs coMPETi.
TORS AN ADVANTAGE
ANNUAL MEETING.

The corporate exhibit law took much
Of the attention of the Merchants As.
ISOLATION members In annual session
yesterday afternoon and a committee
was appointed to meet the Attorney
General, Treasurer and other Terri |
torial officers with view to having,
II possible, the fling of exhibits de-
ferred until the merchants can take a
test case to the courts. The matter
might even be carried to the U. s. Su.
preme Court.
f. A. McInerny did not believe the
Treasurer would consent to. the filing
OF exhibits being deferred Messrs.
Wakefield, McInerny and Harris were
appointed to call on Territorial officers
and report at the meeting to be held
next week.
President @. w. Smith brought up the
matter of the merchants opposition to
the corporation exhibit law. 1t re-
Quired prompt action, he said. The
same question was brought up in 1901
and then referred to the attorneys. Lat
err the Territory decided on test case
and Benson, Smith 4 Co. was the firm
selected to make the test.
Finally II was felt that the Terri.
tory's case was not strong enough and
no attempt was made to bring the mat.
ter before the courts.
II Is now maintained that the Code
Commission in revising the laws made
such changes that the government Is
empowered to enforce the law, 1t being
made a misdemeanor to fail to file an
exhibit. Smith did not think there
was any intent to evade the law. IL ex'
hibits were kept on file merely for the
use of the officials and not for the pub
| lie he thought no merchant would re-
! fuse to file an exhibit. However, when
| II was known that man only "a OF IS
hours In the country could look over
| the exhibits in the Treasurer's office,
then II was time for objection. The
merchants did not want to make pub
lie the details of their business. They
did not want competitors to pry into
their business. 1t might be well to
take the matter to the courts and II
necessary to the U. S. Supreme Court
cooperating with the Chamber of Com
J merce and the Planters Association.
| Mr.. Wakefield read reports on fail
ures to have the exhibits filed merely
for official use.
w. o. Bowen did not agree with the
| protest OF the merchants. He favored
the law. The law only required the ex-
hibit OF lump sums. Eight plantations
had filed exhibits. II these corporations
had 80 done, why could not others? II
this law was obeyed II was protection
TO the interests of the community. To
fight the law would mean the bring.
ing about of worse conditions than ex.
listed at present. The people gave cor
porations certain privileges and In re-
turn for these privileges the corpora
tons should be glad to file the exhibits
required. The people were entitled 10
know sopething OF corporation affairs,
Wakefield did not believe that the
present law could be regarded as thf
peoples law. II had been changed by
the codifers. Government officials
should be the only ones to have access
TO the exhibits.
w. +. Dillingham; did not think II
the best thing to have private business
affairs brought before the public eye
Sugar corporations were In the habit
Of making complete reports.
In other businesses competitors
would take advantage Of the detailed
exhibits on file. This would discourage
business here.
Il. A. McInerny said II had been sug
gested that any official giving out in
formation in regard to exhibits SHOULD
be guilty OF a misdemeaL.or. One ex
hibit had been made public. 1nforma
ton had leaked out OF the tax ofiic,
and defeated law suit. A year ag
someone copied the exhibit OF the Pa
cific Hardware Co. and offered to sell /
to a competitor for IS. w. w. Harri
did not agree with Bowen. He though
! the Association should take the matte
|. up. Mr.. Paris believed the law to b
superfluous. President Smith sal
! there were certainly private matters O
: business which no one desired to max
1 public, although no one wanted
! evade the law. Bowen thought bon
z fide residents should have access to tn
exhibits.
: The report OF the treasurer shove
4 $2963,54 receipts and balance {
( S754.36. The Taft party entertainer
J had been one OF the expenses.
Z The following were chosen director
: OF the Association for the ensuing year
Robert Cation, a. Gartley. Il. H. Pari
= Nto' W. olllNlr W r. DllllhBhdllt v
w. Harris, w. T. Lucas, w. II. Smitl
Y G. j. Waller.
. The Chair called a meeting Of Il
= directors for 1890 tomorrow mornlr
. to elect officers. II is expected thi
: Smith will again be president.
3 The directors report, signed
. Messrs. G. w. Smith, w. T. Lucas,
Phillips, James Wakefield, W. w. Ha
ris and Robert Cation, was read,
? follows:
\ Your Directors, and the Associate
as a whole, have had for considerable
' the subjects OF more speedy handlil
' Of the U, s. malls, recommendation
= site for a Federal building, the m,
ter OF passenger traffic and steam
= rates OF fare, a more equitable syste
= of taxation, merchandise licenses, G
\ dorsement of franchise for anoth
\ telephone company, suggestion, at Z
\ request of the Governor, OF the nee
= OF the Territory at the hands OF {
III g COnnrasS pncOuranamant nf 4