The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-06-16
CHAIN GANG MEN
STRIKE FOR PAY
SUPERVISOR DWIGHT GIVES IN
AND NOW MURRAY WON'T
SIGN THE VOUCHERS
(From Thursday' Advortlscr.l


board Of supervisors are standing on
their dignity as to which shall sign
certain vouchers, with the result that
some Of the parks are becoming over
grown with weeds, trees in and sur
rounding them arc unwatered and q
general air of untidiness PREVAILS; and
for the same reason prisoners at the
county Jail are held cooped up within
the feur walls Of that institution, are
becoming restless with constant con-
fnement without exercise, and fight
has already been recorded because the
prisoners object to the meals which the
cook is serving. ga
The matter came to a head at the
meeting of the board Of supervisors last
night, when Eben Low, in the role Of
a peacemaker, attempted to smooth
i, matters over and have the two chair
men kiss and make up, but, like nearly
, all peacemakers he came in for one or
i two hard swats, and really gained moth
ing for attempting to stop a squabble,
!, which at first seemed trivial, but is
now becoming serious.
{ The row started when Chairman
Z Dwight had the prisoners, in addition
, to working in the parks, cutting lawns,
trimming trees and clearing up CUTTERS,
( put to work cleaning up rubbish from
= the streets. Then Chairman Murray Of
o the police committee put in his oar and
S said he objected to prisoners working
e on the streets, and particularly because
y they were being paid twenty-five cents
d day for their labor
. Prisoners on Strike. ,N...
q The row has created a scandal to
{ some extent, for it has shown that the
}. Iprisoners have practically gone on
@ strike and have taken a stand which
the authorities do not know how TO deal
with, They have not objected to work.
ing in the parks, for that is easy work,
largely in the shade of trees, and it
gives them an eight-hour outing every
day, with at least one meal prepared
in the park. 1t has been something on
the order of picnic,
But when they were put TO work
cleaning up street cutters, dust and
mud, it was found to be hard work.
They struck. These men in blue denim,
the badge of a years. servitude OF
5 under, sent to prison as thieves, drunks,
vags, wife heaters, etc, decided that
they had little dignity TO uphold, and
n the name of the "Amalgamated
Order of Detained Gentlemenp they
would not 90 out upon the streets unless
lpaid for such work.
The chairman of the police committee
took the ground that he was absolutely
opposed to prisoners working on the
streets, pay or no pay, and refused to
sign any vouchers for pay for them.
The chairman of the road board was
piqued and withdrew all the prisoners,
and has been able to do what even the
police judge has not been able to effect.
% He has had them detained under lock
70 and key for two weeks. The prisoners
"a are chafng under this enforced re-
:, straint
~ Picnic Work.
It "Send MS ont to the parks,u they
It shout. The physician attending them
says they should be given exercise.
ID The exercise would consist in using
If rakes and lawnmowers. The parks
ID would benefit, and those who have ac-
,e cess to them would feel that the super
ID visors were doing their duty, but with
10 the parks filled with tall grass voters
,e are wondering what has gone wrong
ID with the board
1t ~ would like a settlement of the
N friction between the two chairmen, /"
ct said Supervisor Low. nIt is n sad
Up error to have a sduabble in this board.
F" I therefore move that the charge of the
: prisoners be left to the road COM
mittee.D
Chairman Dwight of the road com
mittee wanted it referred to the coun.
ty attorney. That official said he would
L have to study it over. Chairman Muir.
ii ray of the police committee said there
was no friction except it might be that,
he was opposed to prisoners working
~ on the streets. He did not object to
ne their working in the parks.
TX Low said the county paid for their
ce upkeep. The county was not in posi-
ne ton to pay $3.50 day to laborer
~ to clean up streets and CUTTERS, or for
ht work which was really wedding. The
city, he said, was overgrown with gut
st ter weeds from one end to the other.
ut He called attention to fights in the
st prison since they were cOoped up and
Sc felt that the payment of twenty-five
ne cents a day was not OVERRIDING a prop
as osition.
e. The motion of Mr. Low was not sec
~ onded and the matter will have to be
=, threshed out between the two chair
is men.
Eggs and Blasting.
: Considerable time was spent by the
supervisors discussing eggs and incu-
s. bators. 1t was started by the clerk
reading a bill from the Slnfower Poul-
el try Yards at Kaimuki, connected by
~ Mrs. r. Turrill, containing the follow
ing items: "To Fancy eggs in two
&c incubators destroyed by improper
m blasting, $50"
ls- This raised a laugh, but when one
i'm or two supervisors arose TO speak on
10 the question, the laughs subsidized.
lis Dwight moved that the matter be re-
er ferred TO the ways and means commit
tee. This brought Ebon Low TO his
cd feet with a question as 20 what the
al ways and means committee had TO do
Is. with such u matter. The road com
70. mittee employees had destroyed the
". eggs and should pay tho bill.
TO "My reason for referring Il TO the
OF ways aud means committee WAS be-
~. cause / knew nothing about H., WAS
lel Dwight'n stateamaniike explanation.
A.. al A. 4iaaa