The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-27
Merchants Association Preparing
20 Go on Record on Three
Distinct Matters.
TAKES UP CITIZEN LABOR
Selling at Cost in Plantation
Stores May Cause Split
Among Planters.

The meeting Of the merchants as.
sociation early next week is scheduled
to be one of the most important held
in long time, owing to matters that
have lately arisen which are vital to
the mercantile life of the city. n
One Of these will be the use of citi-
zen labor in the construction of the
marine barracks at the naval station
at Pearl Harbor bids for which will
shortly be called for by the govern
ment.
The association is already on record
in this matter but will take steps again
to secure citizen labor clause in the
contract.
When the dredging and drydock bids
were called for the association took
the matter up in regard to the same
particular. Constructing Engineer
Parks of the navy assured the assO.
citation at that time that he would see
that citizen labor would be used, but
requested it not to take steps in the
matter or officially express itself. He
gave as his reasons the fact that in
case Of emergency demanding the i'm
mediate construction of the projects
under way, the government would not
like to be tied down by such a clause.
His agreement has been faithfully kept
and citizen labor has done the work
so far on the great Pearl Harbor
projects.
This, however, will not prevent the
association from again taking the mat
ter up with the possibility now that
it viii not go beyond the contempla-
ton point, if the precedent is followed.
Interstate Commerce.
The second matter is the interisland
feature in the traffic bill now before
congress that places the steamer ser
vice here under the control of the in
terstate commerce commission. While
the TRADE and finance committee has
reported on this matter the report win
not be made public until it has been
considered officially.
1t is understood, however, that the
report is unfavorable to the proposed
legislation. Whether the membership
of the association will agree with it
or not seems doubtful, but 1t will un.
doubtedly be given chance to go on
record after the trustees have consid
cred the report
The chamber of commerce shows no
desire to handle the matter and comply
with the request of Mcclellan, its paid
representative at Washington, for in
structions. There is an inclination to
let the Delegate assume the entire re-
sponsibility for Hawaii Is opinion in the
matter when it is brought before con.
gress, and then deal with the Delegate.
While the interstate regulation Of
island traffic is by far the most import
ant, and bound to be the most far reach.
ing if carried through, the balance Of
attention is being given "trade-at-
cost"
The contemplated action of the plant
ers' association in selling all necessi.
ties Of life in the plantation stores at
yoked a great deal of agitation in the
business circles of the city. Here, also,
the chamber of commerce will not go
dieations are to be depended upon.
Previously to his departure for the
Coast, President Morgan of the cham
Der was approached by four or five of
the members with loud protests against
the contemplated action. One man, who
is wholesaler in the city, was particu-
larly insistent that the chamber call a
meeting and take the matter up, saying
that it would mean ruin to him, his
business depending on sales to the eoun-
try stores. Morgan, however, refused
: to call a meeting on his own RESPONSE
bility, but agreed to if five members
would write to him requesting the call
ing of one. He would then be Obliged
to, according to the constitution of the
chamber. They all backed down and
: refused to stand responsible for the
action, and Morgan sailed with the mat
ter untouched. 1t Is now hardly prob
: able that the chamber will discuss the
matter at all.
BY far the most important develop
ment In the trade.at-cOst" PROPOSE
ton is an impending disagreement in
the planters association over it. The
Waianae plantation and others on this
island, backed by several on the other
islands, nnalterably oppose the meas
ure. Their excuse is that they have nc
stores of their own and their laborerf
| purchase from privately owned stores
, A reduction of rates on other planta'
tions, they claim, would mean that they
would be deserted by their lsborers, who
would andeavor to go TO the others in
order to get the benefit of the reduction
Aiea on this island and Hutchinson
and Kohala on the others also have nc
plantation stores, they recently selling
out to ~ Davies & Co. AS matter OF
course, these stores would not be affect
ed by any ruling of the planters asso
citation in regard to the matter, and
they would be in the same fix as Waia
nae. This matter is scheduled to cause
the bitteTest discussion next week.
! The trade and finance committee Of
. the merchants association has already
considered the plantation store ques
ton and gone into 1t deeply, but it'
r,port win probably merely refer thu
matter to the general membership