The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-10-16
SUPERVISORS
IN WRANGLE
tFrom wednesdays Advertiser.)

voices rose in violent recrimination, pc
titions for removal of county officers
almost hocked to the. clerk Is desk, but
when the smoke of balloting cleared
away at the meeting of the Board of
Supervisors last night, the now famous
Koolau petition for the removal of John
N. Gere as road luna for Koolau dis
trict, was lost. Even after that petit
ton had been consigned to the political
wastebasket, for politics were shown to
be at the bottom of the whole matter,
a new petition was presented from Koo-
lau voters asking for the removal of
Sol. Peck as road overseer, and that
went the way of the Gere petition.
The charge that the Gere petition
was of political designing and intended
to bring about political result, was
made to the board by Chairman Hus-
tace, and then the fur few. Supervisor
Harvey, who championed the Koolau
petitioners, banged his desk and yelled
denial. Hustace and Harvey indulg-
ed in heated personal warfare until
even the music of Berger's band over
at the Young Hotel roof garden was
drowned in the roar of argument. Hus-
tace endeavored to make a statement
that politics and nothing else was at
the bottom of the whole scheme to oust
Gere, while Harvey was equally deter
mined to prevent him from speaking,
but Hustaee prevailed. Fern finally
butted in and wrought his and the
petitioners undoing.
Hustace Springs Joker.
Fern asked if similar petition had
not been presented in July. Hustace
sent the clerk to the latter's Office for
a paper. He returned and read it..
Amazement spread over the counte-
nances of Fern, Harvey and Kealoha,
for the paper was petition from Koo-
lau voters, sixty-two of them, to drop
the Gere matter, and still another was
signed by the presidents of the Repub-
1ican, Home Rule Labor and Democratic
precinct clubs. That put new phase
on the matter, and in the resulting roll
call the doubtful ones of the board
swung over to Hustace and the petition
was killed. The petition coming from
all three clubs of the district showed
that all the voters had to be satisfied
and the supervisors made haste to put
themselves on the right side.
Was Spite Work.
At the outset Harvey said his mind
was made up as to how he would vote
Hustace reminded the board of the seri
business of the matter. Harvey said the
"voice of the people should be recog
nized." Hustace said that would be
decided by vote. Then Mr.. Hustace
said he believed the entire list of
charges was unfounded. The work on
the road spoke for itself and the coun-
ty had value received. He said that
the statements of responsible men in
Koolau were not being properly con
sidered by the board and they were
branding men if the petition was sus
tanned, as men who could not be trust
ed. To him the matter looked lik
petty spite.''
Harvey said he had been n seafarinl
man and knew how officers knocked
men down and the men were afraiC
to say anything to those who nigh
help them. 1t was the same in Koolau
The road men were afraid to make
statements. People outside these road
workers had nothing to say at all. Hus
face said that it was proven at thu
investigation that Gere paid for tn,
barley he is alleged to have made thu
county pay for Harvey retorted by
saying that anything Gere said woult
have to be sustained by Crowder, hi
helper, or he would get fired. Archie
said the work showed for itself.
was good work done by Gerc. Their
might be some little differences in Kc
olau, but as the present board had onl
n few months to sit, it might well le
the matter go to the next board and
they wanted to change the personn'
of employees they could do so. He di
not believe there was anything wron
that should require Gere to be fred.
Thought They Were Afraid.
Kealoha admitted he HAD never hear
of anything wrong before the petitio
came in. Then came the voting. Archie
voted against the petition; Cox WI
kanalua and SO was Dwight. Fern an
Harvey voted aye and Kealoha d
likewise. Then the supervisors beg;
to discuss the matter again. Up to tt
time Kealoha had not said anythin
although he is the Koolau supervise
Then Harvey prodded him to make
statement. One came almost autom
tically, and il was devoid of argumel