Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1911-05-18

dron 10 Mr. Petrie. After quoting the
part of Petrie's letter beginning, ION
the express condition" and making
action by the Merchants Association
to continue the tax a prerequisite To
representation, Mr.. Waldron says:
The clause appears to me an arbi-
trary ruling and would not be in ac-
cord with the friendly spirit in which
the merchants association have taken
up the discussion governing the funds
collected by the shippers wharf COM
mittee.
II is my opinion that the merchants
association by large majority is ir
favor OF continuing the wharfage tax
as an emergency fund. The objections
heretofore raised have not been di-
rected against the ways in which the
fund has heretofore been expended
and unless arrangements can be made
for the association TO become repre-
sented on your committee in man
ner becoming and within the dignity
of an Independent body, II is my opin-
ion that the association will not con-
slider the appointing Of representatives
In your body, which representatives
would be forced to consider that they
were a part of your committee by any
special favor in place of their inter-
est in public affairs.
Last Letter.
The fourth letter Is a reply from
Petrie to Mr.. Waldron. dated May. II,
regretting that the shippers commit
tee cannot agree with the other COM
mittee and continuing: ......
At meeting of the committee held
this day formal action was taken in
this matter which you will find EN-
bodied in the following resolution
which trust you will find self-eX-
planatory: H
Resolved, That the shippers wharf
committee learns with regret that its
proposal to the Merchants Association
of Honolulu, under which that ASSOC
citation would join in the maintenance
and administration of the quarantine
wharf tax, Is not acceptable to the
committee of the association: and
further that the shippers wharf COM
mittee desires to know from the mer-
chants association whether It now
contemplates advising its members to
decline to accept bills-of-lading with
the present wharfage tax clause sur
charged thereon, and, in the event
that the tax Is to cease to be collect.
ed, II Is the sense of this committee
that reasonable notice should be 50
given, in order that the Honolulu
Chamber of Commerce and the Ha-
latter organization this committee
understands shares in portion of
the funds at present being distribute
ed to the former body may adjust
their finances. Very truly yours.
T. II. PETRIE,
Secretary, Shippers Wharf Committee
"Proviso" Resented.
With these letters before them, the
merchants yesterday afternoon were
for long time undecided as to what
action to take. One after the other
expressed himself as resenting the
attitude of the shippers wharf COM
mittee In asking that an express con-
dition" be compiled with before tho
merchants request was acceded to.
James Wakefield and James l.. Nc
Lean were the only speakers who at
all favored yielding to the "expross
condition" "The request of the ship
pers' committee seems to me perfect
ly fair and perfectly just" said Mr..
Wakefield. I'VE are all in favor of
continuing the tax anyway"
81 do not think Mr.. Petrie's letter
has been interpreted rightly" said
Mr.. Mclean. '1f we should take hasty
action now, 1t would mean that this
| tax, which we all admit is good, would
be cut off and the emergency fund
| lost"
Want Action.
On the other hand F. w. Waldron
Col. Soper, Secretary Maurice Brasch,
Emil Berndt, and others were in fav-
or of some kind of action looking to
definite refusal to pay the tax I'M
less the merchants were allowed three
members on the committee, and at
one time a motion came near passing
stating the sense Of the meeting that
this association demands a represent
tation of three members on the ship
pers' wharf committee without any
proviso whatsoever, otherwise it rec
ommends to its members to discon-