The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-09-20


The Secretary announced that further
hearings would be held Thursday and
Friday mornings of this week, following
the return of the party from Kauai.
A Bankers Views.
L. Tenney.Peek, cashier of the First
National Bank, president of the Rapid
Transit Company and manager Of the
s. N. Castle Estate, in answer to in
quiries during the investigation last
Monday as to the plantation agencies
said that when he came here first in
1900 it had been his opinion that they
made large commissions, but investi-
cation corrected that idea. He then
dealt with the history of sugar enter.
prises, how the original planters were
small holders and gradually these hold
ings were built into the great planta-
tons as they are today. Capital and
labor were scarce in those days, Claus
Spreckels bought from Princess Ruth
in the infancy days of the sugar in
dustry the crown lands for $4,000 for
which the legislature traded Maui
lands now included in the 100000, 900
sugar proposition comprised in the
} Baldwin enterprises. Mr.. Peck said
she got what she considered fair
, price, but she did not reckon then that
she was n trustee for the future.
, "There is less abuse of power here
r by the corporations than anywhere
know of, because of the high mora
standard of the community said Mr.
Peck. 81 believe conditions here are
: more satisfactory than in many othel
r places. The general body of the peo
I pie is satisfied and it is not the ma
| Oh ha ,gtg
i The complaint comes very often from
y those who have not analysed condi
4 tions and who want conditions changed
e because Of their individual dssatis
i. faction with their own environment.
s The homestead question should be ap
. preached with great care so that al
G the rights of the people in the Terri
tory should be protected. In that h
/, thought the Governor had gone as fa
2. as possible. 1t is claimed he has ad
# ministered the lands for one class a
D against another. He knew he had hat
1t to stand against the insatiate de
IS mands of land owners, and against tn
e demands of those small owners, blu
Ie he thought his desire to make the LAM
II laws more secure for all the people dc
k served appreciation.
is He thought the $4,000 acres o
II government land known as cane land
should be kept out of private owner
ship but not leased to large holder
1. for long terms.
n, The Secretary and Mr.. Peck he'll
n. some discussion with relation to tn
10 education of the second generation
4. which removed it from the class Gale
Y. labor and in that case the labor sur
" ply, unless aided, would become les
10 and in that case other labor woul
have to be supplied at higher rate
4. than now paid. The Portuguese
G. found the environment good one. II
4. believed Inducements should be mad
n. to these people to come here.
ne As to the individual plantation me
IN who have become wealthy Mr.. Pee
In cited instances such as the late II.
ID Baldwin of Maui, who regarded h
nj accumulation of wealth as an aid
re benevolent enterprises.
Il Street Car Wages.
Do Asked as to wages paid to the "pla
or form'' men of the Rapid Transit con
le pany Mr.. Peck said, motormen and col
in ductors were paid a maximum of fort
cents an hour for nine hours of wor
Mt each day. The minimum was thirt
lg cents, and each year an employee recei
re ed n cent per hour more. This WI
is greater than that paid in large citi,
a on the mainland. including Washingto
es d. G., where the wages was twent
three cents an hour, as he understood
I'd Mr.. Fisher thought it was more II
at laborers employed by the company r
be ceiyed $3.50 per day. The employees @
at the cars were Hawaiians, American
ne Portuguese, Scotchmen and other II