Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-16

Up to v. S. Officers. ~.--s.. 49,. ID
Gov. Frear was asked then II, al
the Territorial government is bring
ing in these immigrants, 1t SHOULD
not concern itself more with, Their
maintenance when detailed by thu
Federal Government Gov. Freal
thought not. He said the matter was
In the hands of the Federal officials
and that as a matter of fact the Fed
eral government has control of theiI
coming here, to the extent that the
marine hospital service passes or
them even before they leave Europe
Secretary Fisher said that the ques
ton is human problem" -...s
Secretary Fisher said the sugges
ton has been made that the Terri
tory is trying to bring in the immi
grants in too large lots and thus cut
down the average cost, and that a
wiser policy would be to. bring in
smaller lots. Gov. Frear said there is
no question of this being the case
and that the board is trying to do
just this thing. s-
The Secretary then asked about
misrepresentation of conditions here
by agents either of the planters OF
Of the Territory, made in the FaI
East to Russian laborers Gov
Frear said this complaint arose sew.
eral years ago and that most of il
probably arose from the fact that
they found the cost of living higher
here than they had expected, and that
an agent of the Russian government
had Investigated the complaints and
reported them generally groundless.
/. y. Peck Called.
Secretary Fisher then called on L.
Tenney Peck.
Mr.. Peck was asked about his bus
mess connections here, and the hold.
ings of the s. NJ. Castle Estate, Ltd.
He said he is one the directorate of
Castle & Cooke, Ltd. but explained
that the sugar agencies are dominat-
ed by some one or two men who are
familiar with every detail of the bus
mess. The stock in the Castle Els.
tate is held, he explained. by mem
bers Of the family and descendants.
He says insofar as his managerial
work is concerned. his position Is
that OF manager, not a stockholder.
and that his connection with the
Castle Estate has no connection with
his cashiership of the bank.
My observations are not the obser-
yations of sugar man nor of an ex-
pert In any particular direction" he
said, My observations have been
those of the relations of public policy
and private interests .
He said that the explanation Of the
institutions OF the islands Hes in
necessity and applied this to the
big agencies. He said originally the
agencies were the mainstay of the
small farmer or small landholder. He
mentioned the q Ne of what Is now the
Hawaiian Commercial lands by Prin-
cess Ruth to Claus Spreckels for $10,-
600 as an Illustration Of the small be-
ginnings of present great businesses.
He said his first Impressions of this
scheme OF evolution was modified lat
er by the knowledge that agencies
were also getting earnings from own.
ership of properties. He said he
thought the commissioners charged by
the agencies were quite moderate. He
6<1tu III PAST LINES bucsss H4oAASoSAOhSa
were paying rather large profits on
necessities. He said that the tempta-
ton of human nature is to allow abuse
of power to go hand in hand with
power, but he declared emphaticaiiy
that his observation Of this commli-
nifty is that this temptation Is less
yielded to than any other place OF
which he knows. He asserted that
the moral standard operating here has
resulted in less general dissatisfaction
here than in other countries.
Asked with regard to the future dis.
posal of government lands and gov.
ernment water rights, he said he has
q sort Of apprehension of the opera
ton Of the United States land laws.
The whole society OF these Islands
has given intrinsic value to the lands. :
he said. Here are these. public
lands made valuable by the industries
and classes, and feel that the school
teacher has an interest in these lands
lust as much as the wouldbe home.
steader, and believe that they should
be administered for the whole people.
And that, Mr.. Secretary, think the
Governor has done. / know he has
had to stand against the insatiate de-
manis of those who have lands as
well as those who want lands. For
those who want lands. For that
think he deserves appreciation"
Mr.. Peck said he was not entirely
prepared to say what to do about pos
sible demonstrating of the cane lands.
He said he has sometimes Thought Il
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