The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-04-29
TOMBSTONE WILL
NOT LEAVE OFFICE
Skirts of Deputy Collector Of In
ternal Revenue Are
Clear.
lFrom wedne,day Advert ser.l

Ralph Johnstone, first deputy col
lector of internal revenue, is in no way
mixed up in the troubles of the office
that have brought about the resigna-
tion of Collector Walter F. Drake, and
in the event of Mr.. Drake's resigna-
tion being accepted, Johnstone may be
the man named to succeed him as head
of the Office.
Revenue Agent Thomas, whose in
vestigaton of the Office was followed
by grand jury investigation and the
resignation of the collector, when asked
yesterday what would happen in the
event of Mr.. brakes resignation be-
ing Immediately accepted, replied that
the first deputy would probably take
charge of the office. Asked as to what
would be the state of affairs if Mr.. John
stone also resigned, he replied: 81
know that Mr.. Johnstone has not tend.
r,d his resignation, and there is no
reason why he should resign
This, coming from the reticent rev.
epue agent, is virtually complete ex-
O0tEdllO0 VI Ndlph
and undoubtedly means that, if he so
desires. he may remain in his present
position even though his present chief
should leave the service.
But Collector brakes resignation,
sent by cable Monday afternoon, has
not yet been accepted and there is a
chance, perhaps strong chance, that
it may not be accepted. So far as is
known at present-and this seems to be
the probability-the whole trouble in
| the internal revenue office is rather a
tangling of the red tape than the com.
mission of any actual overt act. Con
ditions in Hawaii are very different
from those in any other district and
this may not be fully understood al
| Washington The internal revenue of
fee of Hawaii has to deal with many
| irerent nationalities, with unusual
conditions and the deputies have tC
.ravel over rough country where it is
1 kal Ger to cover ten miles than it would
be to cover hundred in some Other
of the States and Territories. This, il
seems probable, accounts for some Of
the apparent laxity existing in thu
local office
who are more or less acquainted will
conditions here, and the fact tina
Drake g resignation has not been ac
cepted leads to the surmise that he ha
friends at the national capital who hav
persuaded the department to wait fo
full report from Honolulu before tax
ing action.
The main facts in the whole trouble
are still shrouded in the deepest off
cial secrecy and it is not known hov
any official of the local office stands
Drake, of course, is the head of tn
office, and as such he has made tn
statement that he shoulders the entir
responsibility. Johnstone, chief deputy
is virtually the bookkeeper, and HI
skirts. according to the statement o
Thomas, are clean. Doyle is the outsid
man and nothing has yet been said tt
define his status. 1t is certain that h
has been an efficient officer and that
Z should he resign, the department vii
suffer a severe loss.
Candidates Crop Up.
Meanwhile, with the apparent posi-
bility of Drake's resignation being aC
cepted, candidates for the position ar
beginning to spring up on every hand
Several hundred dollars in cables ha
been spent during the past two or thre
days by ambitious candidates, many O
whom have not yet come out into tn
: open. None so far as is known, is will
: ing as yet to announce himself as
candidate, but all are SIN the hands o
,, their friends" and are waiting to Sc
which way the cat jumps. The nam
of Frank Winter has been mentione
and it is understood that petition fo
his appointments IS being circulated,
William Fennell, at present inspectO
for the Oahu liquor license commission
is another whose name has been mel
toned in connection with the position
and Morris Rosenblatt is a third VIII,
it is understood. could be persuade
to accept the job if it were offere
: him
, But up to the present no vacanc
, exists.
----s.& Co