The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-11-16
COUNTY AUTO IS
WHITE ELEPHANT
The Hawaii Supervisors Have a
Secondhand Automobile to
Sell Very Cheap.

According to the Hilo Tribune, the
county fathers of the Big Island have
already become tired of their latest
plaything, the chu.chu-car, and now
they want to sell it. The car has not
been an entire success, in spite of the
eulogies with which it was covered re.
Gently when the majority of the board
hankered for it like a little boy for
a stick of candy. But little has been
said of the shortcomings of the car,
the county afficials being quite natur.
ally anxious to say as little as possible
about the mistake they had made
against the advice of practically the
entire community.
At the meeting of the board in Hilo
last week, it was decided to sell the
machine, but the intention is to buy h
new one as soon as the Buick now on
the hands of the county has been dis.
posed of. Shipman, who introduced the
resolution providing for the sale of the
car, was asked how often he had used
it. 81 had one ride in it; that was
enough he answered. He referred to
the disastrous ride to Kona, where the
sengers had to proceed on their way
in other conveyances, while the car
was taken back to Hilo.
Shipman's resolution read as fol-
lows:
"Whereas, The automobile recently
purchased of ]. Gaspar has been found
too small, and totally inadequate for
the uses and purposes of the county;
therefore, be it
"Resolved, by the supervisors in and
for the county of Hawaii, That the
county sheriff is hereby authorized and
directed to contract for the sale of the
same, at figure not less than $1,000,
and to report to this honorable board
Immediately upon the completion of
any sale, in order that a machine
larger and more suitable for county
purposes may be purchased in lieu
thereof. ~
Shipman said that he introduced the
resolution because the car was too small,
and not because it was not good. He
knew it was a good machine because
Kalaiwaa said so, and in view of that
the county could probably even get
$500 for it were it so inclined.
Kalaiwaa did not seem to detect the
sarcasm. He said that the auto had
been bought for the use of the sheriff,
but every body had wanted to ride in
it, and therefore the car wouldn It go.
He thought the resolution a good one,
but wanted to amend it so that after
the sale a bigger car could be bought,
even if the county would have to pay
two thousand dollars for such.
Desha was in doubt as to whether
the sale of the auto could be legally
made at a private sale through the
sheriff, or whether it would be neces-
sary to sell the machine at auction. The
question was referred to County Attor.
ney Beers, who gave his off-hand opin.
ion to the effect that the sheriff could
legally sell the auto as long as he had
been authorized to do so by the board.
Fernandez said that he favored the
resolution with the amendment that a
bigger machine be bought so that ev-
erybody could ride, and the resolution
carried.
The sheriff now has the county g
white elephant on his hands, and it is
to be hoped that he will prove to be
good salesman. About Hilo, how
ever, the opinion is being expressed by
auto owners that the county will have
a hard time to get its money back on
machine which has proven itself to be
failure.