The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-10-22
WHY LOWR|E
LOST HIS JOB
cFrom saturdays Advertiser,

(From saturdays Advertiser.l
/, A long affidavit by w. r. Castle 4,
the Lowrie case was filed in The circn,+
court yesterday. In this lie says he
does not remember 1av'ng mace III.
remark that he supposed Bal.l.r,n
wanted to be manager OF the biggest
plantation in the world and 70 keep the
job in the family" but that IL he die
say it, it was mere jocular remark.
Nor did he ever say to Sillimaa that
he considered Lowrie the best pian-
tation manager that ever came to ,he
Islands; but that he did belisve at the
time of Lowries appointment that he
was the best available man they could
get. This belief was based on what
Lowrie had done at Eva in which
Castle was heavily interested. and that
for a long time after the results justi-
fed it he still supported Lowrie and
thought he was doing the best that
could be done for Hawaiian ComMer-
cial & Sugar Company. Finally Il was
brought to his attention that undec
Lowrie's management the company
had become practically insolvent H
P. Baldwin had to pledge personal as
sets and property to keep the place
running. Castle himself had pledged
his own property for the purpose OF
carrying the stock which he had agreed
to carry and in order to keep the plGn-
tation within the control of the ma
jority that owned it.
Shortly before Lowrie was deposed,
it was brought to Castles knowledge
that the plantation owed $755,O0) above
its bonded Indebtedness amounting to
81 I356 COO; that up to that time Lowrie
had spent $2.373.395 in permanent i'm
provements designed to put the plan 4,
tation on the basis of producing 5000
tons of sugar g. year, but notwithstand-
ing this, much more was yet TO be ex-
pended before that end was reached.
The 1901 crop was 24.371 t)ns when
Lowrie had planned for ami promised
a crop of $4,000 to 10000 tons. The crop
Of 1902, planted and matucei by Low
rie but harvested by his succes>o-, was
p, 900 tons when I2, 10 TO $500 was
promised by Lowrie. At the end OF
1901 Lowrie was confess ;.s.y 2009 bor-
ers short of enough aud ha6 unexl e5t L
edly called for $500, 40 mOre than his
previous estimates. AT that time large
portions of the cane were choked with.
weeds and physically the plantation
vas in bad way. This condition.
Castle AYERS, was due primarily to
Lowrie's inability to hold his labor af-
er annexation and the end of the con-
ract system. And it seemed clear that
-owrie was unable to adapt himself
% the change of conditions. Lowrie
vas given ample time to show what he
,ould do in the handling of labor under
Z.
managers were meeting the conditions
Ind holding their labor. 1t was known
o the affiant during Lowrie's time at
Iwa that he was hard on his labor and
hat the Japanese, especially, We're
growing more and more hostile. But
,astle had hoped that at the Hawaiian
Commercial plantation Lowrie might
hange his attitude. But when it be-
anne evident that LOwrie could not
ret the required labor and that cuiti-
-ation on the plantation was far be-
lind what it ought to be, Castle be-
anne very anxious. So far from being
dissatisfied that Baldwin should take
he management, he was very glad
hat he did, but was surprised that he
vas willing to take the additional work
n himself.
Castle says that while he expressed
is own personal regret that affairs
hould have turned out as they did,
nd his sympathy for Lowrie, he main
aimed the justice of the change.
The argument on the motions now
efore the court in this case will be
lken up this morning before Judge
obinson, and viii occupy the whole
ay.