The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-01-31
lnter-lsIand Reject Proffer Of
Harbor to Help Select the
Incompetents.
HARBoR ATTACKS COMPANY
walk-Out Inevitable" Is Report
from Captains Last Might
May Come Today.
(FrOm Thursday Advertiser)

Cfrom Thursday Advertiser)
From all that could be learned of the
attitude of the captains and mates in
the employ of the Inter- Island Steam
Navigation Company last night. and
the attitude of the officials of the com.
pany, strike ON the part of the for.
mer VIII be formally declared before
the end OF the week, very possibly to.
uay. Just what preparation the COM
pany mas made to meet this threatened
strike When 1t comes Is not definitely
known, but that the Inter-Island win
not be found so completely at the
mercy of its shippers and mates th;s
tilhe as 1t was few months ago. when
the first strike occurred. NAV he taken
as certain. Yesterday InterIsland
stock bids were at $50, ten points he.
low Tuesdays offers and fifty-two be.
low the last recorded sale.
Events moved rapidly Yesterday. The
directors of the company met and de.
eided to refuse explicitly to confer
with the members of Honolulu Harbor
% IN the matter of dismssals for cause
and declined the offer of the harbor TO
arbltrate' in the matter of dis
missals.
The harbor, through its committee.
consisting of Captains Tullett, Oness
and OLSON and their legal advisers.
Judge Humphreys and C. w. Ashford
held conference, the first fruits of
which was the issuing of letter ad.
dressed to the public, warning travel.
ers of alleged conditions aboard the In
ter-lsland vessels. Later, reply to
the company's letter was prepared, the
terms of which reply are as bitter as
could well be penned.
No member of the committee would
make any formal statement for publ.
cation, but there was no hesitation
among them about saying that walk.
out on the part of the captains and
mates is inevitable and will come at
once.
Company Refuses Demands.
Following a meeting of the Inter.
Island directors yesterday morning, the
following letter was sent to the com.
mittee of the harbor:
"Gentlemen:-The board of directors
of the Inter-Island Steam Navigation
Company, Limited, at n meeting spec
lally called for the purpose, has given
most careful consideration to the com.
munlcation of your committee, dated
January 27, 1913, and addressed to MS
by authority of resolution adopted by
your harbor on that date. In that let.
ter and resolution you request us to
enter into an agreement with your har.
Dor and with its present and future
members during the life of such pro.
posed agreement to the effect that no
member of your harbor shall against
his will be dismissed from employment
by this company unless (1 by order of
the United States Inspectors empowered
to act in the premises; (2) the party
sought to be dismissed shall admit the
justice of his dismissal; or 90 such dis
missal shall be approved by arbitra-
tors, one of whom shall be appointed
by the harbor, one by this company,
and the third in such manner as might
be provided in such proposed agree
ment.
"The communication referred to
practically constitutes demand that
the company be compelled to keep in
its employment masters and mates, un-
less their discharge be permitted by
others than officers of the company.
No refinement of the language Of the
resolution of your harbor, or the let
ter of your committee based thereon,
can lead to any other conclusion.
After due discussion and delibera-
tion, the directors of the company feel
that the demand made by you cannot be
acceded to, and will briefly state their
reasons therefor.
Duty to Public.
GAS a corporation, the ter.Island
Steam Navigation Company owes a
duty to both its stockholders and the
public. Exercising, as it does, powers
of quasi-pubhc nature, the duties
owed to the public should be and are
paramount, and any rights to (which the
stockholders might otherwise be en-
Titled should be set aside where strict
observance of them would conflict with
the rights of the public. Where, how
ever, given course of action not only
satisfies responsibility to both stock
holders and the public, but is of such
a nature that failure to follow it could
rightfully be treated as violation of
duty TO both, we feel forced to adopt
that course.
"Waiving any rights of any nature
whatsoever which stockholders may
have, IL seems TO us that we could not
carry out our obligations TO the pub.
lie by permitting your harbor TO insist
upon its demands. The negligence Of
a master OF of mate, reAuiting In
damage TO person or property, is in law
attributable 20 the company. The same
negligence, resulting in poor public ser.
Vice, Is by the public attributable TO
the company. For injury, either 10 a
particular Individual or 10 thu public
generally, the company, and tie com.
pany alone, 10 bold responsible. ia
flouffuuea au p... a..