The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-03
INVESTIGATING
CRAFT CHARGES
Hawaii Prosecutors and Many
Witnesses Before KaiIua
Grand Jury.

KAILUA, November 1.-The chief
topic OF interest here is the approach
ing term of the third circuit court,
when it is expected there viii be some
Investigations into the recent alleged
Irregularities OF the Kau police force,
such as will make the members of that
body sit up and take notice 1t would
be more strictly correct to say the pres
sent, than the approaching term for the
circuit court has been in session, at
special term, here, since September 20
last, though sitting without jury, for
the trial of cases brought by Chinese
and japanese cane planters against the
Hutchinson plantation of Kau. One of
those eases, that of Wing Wo vs..
Hutchinson Sugar Plantation Co., has
been thirty days on trial, and the plain
tiffs side, as the attorneys say, is not
yet nearly finished. In the mean time,
the special term, called in the expecta
ton of disposing of some half dozen
of these cases, has been absorbed by
the regular term of that court, which
opened last Wednesday, and the trial
referred to has proceeded to this date.
1t is expected that a recess will be
taken in this trial as soon as the grand
jury, which meets here today, shall pro-
vide some criminal cases for the at
tention of the court.
There are no cases Of special i'm
portance on the criminal side, so far
as has yet developed. But telephone
advices are to the effect that the new
county attorney, W. II. Beers, with
Carl Smith as his deputy, are both on
their way here, due today; also that
| a swarm of witnesses will disembark
| from the Mauna Loa in this harbor
| this forenoon. all coming from Kau, and
| presumably In connection with the re-
cent charges of graft on the part of
the Kau police force, in connection with
license collections. The result of all
| this noise is as yet d mere matter fer
! speculation, however. though the pres
ent week may be expected to present
! some tangible facts in regard to it.
! The Honolulu bar is at present, and
has been since mid-September, repre-
! scented by c. W. Ashford, acting for
/ the plaintiffs in the plantation suits
above referred to, and W. L. Stanley
acting for the defendant. Charlie Achi
! blew in for some probate work, during
| the past week, and little later APP
peared, for the same purpose. Mr.. Ly-
man, of the firm of Kinney, Ballou, etc.
Many Divorces.
Crop conditions in Kona are report.
ed as excellent, the almost superabun
dant rains of the past summer having
continued to date, in more moderate
/ volume, and given life and promise tC
everything in the line of husbandry
No reference is here intended to the
domestic brand. though that, too, /:
flourishing along this coast. And sc
is its antithesis, for that matter, fOl
this circuit court has probably never
before been so beset by petitioners fol
divorces. Speaker Holstein came over
the other day. and assisted in releasing
with neatness and despatch, group Of
his clients from the CALLING manacle:
of wedlock. But then Holstein was al
ways benevolently disposed.
Coffee Harvest.
The coffe harvest is at its height
and "Kona Coffee is being sent for
ward in quantities sufficient to deligh
the coffee topers of half continent.
is estimated, according to same reports
that over $4,000 sacks viii be shipped
before the season ends. 1t is feared
however, that considerable of the cro7
will 90 to waste, for lack Of labor t.
pick it. The coffee berry, in the rough
commands about $1.55 per sack, an,
sixty cents per sack is being freel
paid for picking. \ Portuguese
planter was in Kailua recently, in wild
eyed quest of pickers at even the a
most prohibitive figure of seventy-fv
cents per sack.
The theory often advanced that tn
} school children are the logical coffe
pickers still remains theory. for it ha
not been found to work out we'll i
] Kona. Still some Youngsters of schoC
age are Drawing the criminal code
such case made and provided. by stay
ing away from school for the purpo>
] OF coffee picking. A nimble-fngure
! Il don t mean what you mean) DO
| or girl can comfortable pick two sack
day, thus realizing a handsome wag
The coffee mills at kailua and Napo,
| poo are working day and night. an
the amount OF hard cash which tn
| banner crop represents is a formidab
item. There are large areas of I
| Gently planted coffee about to come il
to bearing on and near Honaunau,
South kona. and it Is predicted til;
when that event comes to pass. Il
entire kona crop Will reach >0,0l
| sacks per year.
Kailua Improvements.
| Great Improvements have recent
| been made tn the Kailua wharf. /
| a gang of workmen employed by II
| public works department, and opera
ing under the very efficient instru
! rions of that veteran contractor. j
| Morse. The main wharf has been e
- tended thirty feet IL length, upon co