The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-18
HOT. WORDS
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some things. Regarding his first vote
against awarding the contract to the
Lord-Young Company, he stated that
this was not to be construed as vote
in favor of Wilson. He voted the way
he did at first because he had been
told that, if Wilson did not get the
contract, he would carry the matter
to the courts and he did not think it
would be well for the commission to
have its first contract contested in
court Also, he feared that the courts
might not consider Wilson's failure to
complete the sewer outfall job as suf-
ficient evidence to warrant the COM
mission in refusing to award him the
Heeia road contract. Afterward he
changed his vote, as he thought, if the
matter were going to the courts any
way, the commission ought to present
a solid front.
Prosser's cross-eXamination of Adj
ans was searching and pointed, and
both attorney and witness were ex-
ceedingly caustic in their attitude
toward one another. Adams preserved
as far as possible the attitude that has
been his ever since he became a mem
Der of the commission. He admitted
that he made no attempt to ascertain
Wilson's ability as a road builder, stat
| ing that that was not the question al
issue, that what the commission want
was a responsible contractor. Adams
said he had been told that Wilson was
the type of man who stood from uh-
der when he got into hole. He ad-
mitted that he had asked nobody, eX-
| cept some of the supervisors, for whom
! Wilson had done successful work, what
sort of a contractor Wilson was. 81
didn't think it necessary to find out
about his successful work." said
Adams. 81 wanted to know about his
failures"
1 thought SO, Sdlu HTOSSeI.
The total result of my findings"
said Adams, was that Wilson was
not the type of man to be given an
$4,000 contract. l found that he had
fallen down on two contracts"
Adams stated that he had questioned
w. H. Hoogs, who was one of Will
sons bondsmen for the Kauai road
contract, but had not questioned Cecil
Brown or Mark Robinson, the two
other bondsmen. He said that, even
had he questioned them and they had
spoken favorably of Wilson, he. as
member of the commission, would not
have considered their statements.
Adams denied that he knew Wilson
to be partner of McCandless in bid
ding for the Heeia road contract, but
he admitted that the letter of Cecil
Brown reached him before the con-
tract was awarded, and furthermore
that Brown had hailed him on the
street one day and told him that Nc
Candless was behind Wilson.
Petrie followed Adams on the stand,
but his testimony was in the main
only corroboratory of what the chair
man of the board had stated. He de-
MED having any animus toward Will
son and said he would have preferred
to award the contract to him but did
not consider him a responsible bid.
der
Marston Campbell, under cross
examination, proved to be a slippery
customer, at least to his inquisitor's
view. Prosser had the greatest diff
Guilty in getting any direct answer to
Ia categorical question, Campbell al.
ways trying to qualify his statements
or evade answering.
He said be would consider Wilson
a responsible bidder on a small con.
tract but not on large one. Prosser
tried to get him to specify how large,
but Campbell evaded and shifted.
Prosser asked him if he thought
Wilson would be responsible on
$4,000 contract. Campbell thought
that he would.
"a ten thousand dollar contract"
After considerable hesitation Camp
bell thought he would trust Wilson
that far.
Twenty thousand?" Campbell didn't
know, but finally after being pressed .
for an answer said no.
Prosser finally exploded, and said