Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1911-05-03
CATHCART REPLY
To DETRACTORS

Supervisor Low, special committee
man appointed to investigate mat
ter of several weeks leave of absence
taken by Deputy city and County At
torncy Fred Milverton. at Kona, Ha-
wall. has received statement from
City Attorney John w. Cathcart which,
Low declared at the regular meeting
held last night. fully explains the sit
uation and proves entirely satisfactory
TO all concerned.
City Attorney Cathcart. among other
things, states that he is aware from
what source the complaints of Milver-
toms absence arise. II being the same
from which omanate all msrepresen-
tations concerning himself and the de.
partment over which he presidcs
In his letter to the supervisors, Cath
cart says:
I'm reference to the matter OF the
absence Of Mr. Milverton, my first
deputy. from the city of Honolulu
while in attendance on the trial of
a civil action In the Fourth Circuit
at Kailua. on the Island of Hawaii.
desire to say that Mr.. Milverton has
been with me for period Of about
three and a half years, during which
time he has never missed dav from
his attendance upon the duties of his
position and, at not infrequent times.
owing to my enforced absence, has at
tended to my duties as well as his
own. With the increasing business.
his work has been much more labor
ious than is usually expected from the
first deputy. Indeed. myself and two
deputies have been obliged to put in
more time and work harder than has
been ever done by any prosecuting
force In this Territory, since January
I, 1903. with. results that would COM
mend themselves to any fair minded
man.
Before ! took the office OF county
attorney In 1907. had represented Mr..
NJ. +. Scott IN matters relative to his
planting interest in Kona, Hawaii, and
before Mr.. Milvcrton came to my Of
flee he became connected with the
matters out of which the suit grew
that he went to Kona to try. Having
become connected with the case. pro-
fesslonal honor required us to see Il
through, and after striving to avoid
the trial of the litigation, Mr.. Mil
vcrton was compelled to attend upon
its trial. as l could not personally leave
Honolulu. ...
UNFORTUNATELY for him, this absence
viii probably have to be counted
against him as his vacation, and GER
tainly he IL entitled, after rendering
the services he has, to a vacation of
much longer duration than necessary
for the trial of the action referred to-
Meanwhile, the work of the office has
been kept up. although II required my
self and Mr. Brown to work much
harder than any attorney ought to be
called upon to do. ... 80 .-.
1T has been the custom for the
heads OF the departments to grant
leaves OF absence to those In their Of
flee Accordingly. I granted MIR, Mil
vcrton the necessary leave of absence.
When I myself desire any absence
from my Office or It's duties, request
permission of the Board of Supervise
ors. as II Is only right for the head
OF the department to do; but II has
never been the practise. nor has the
board ever desired to NEEDLE with the
running of my office, and until the
board signifies It's desire so to do. I
will continue to personally superintend
the affairs of my department
Further, II Is impossible to get n
competent deputy at the salary allow
ed, unless he he permitted to practise
civilly The work of our Office has
beer so great, however, that practical
ly none of us have been able to take
any outside business.
"Of course, l understand from what
source the complaints of Mr.. Milver-
tons absence arise, but the public |
should know that II Ii the source from
which have emanatcd all the mlsrep- |
concerning myself and my |
Office for the past years. Very truly |
yours,
"JNO. w. CATHCART,
- city and County Attorney"