Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-04
Supervisors Refrain from Ac'
ton, Fearing Bad Precedent
May Be Established

A special committee OF the board OF
supervisors will confer with Cover
nor Pinkham on the unemployed prob
lem. This was the decision reached
last night at a meeting of the board,
when a prolonged discussion was
heard on the subject of unemployed
laborers.
Near the close of this discussion,
Supervisor Lester Petrie. chairman OF
of the roads committee. rose and sum
med up the attitude of the supervisors
on the unemployed question, and tha
offer of the Associated Charities with
regard to il in the following manner:
81 think the members OF the board
are opposed to putting these men to
work on the streets. | am against ii
personally. | think it is a bad preee-
dent; that there is no telling where
il will lead. The city and county Is
lot in too good financial condition.
We cannot afford any additional ex-
pense. There is a large number of
unemployed citizens who should be
put 10 work. There may be some
other way out of this trouble than the
enc suggested. hope so.
Abe Lewis, Jr., president Of the As
scciated Charities, appeared at the
meeting and modified the proposition
made to the board by Spencer Bowen,
manager. The latter had worked on
a scheme of paying the laborers one
dollar each a day, but Mr.. Lewis
changed this proposition, saying:
Yesterday the executive commit
tee of the Associated Charities met
for the first time on this subject. The
Associated Charities. is in no position
to offer any wage to the unemployed.
But we are willing to undertake to
furnish meals, rooms, etc., Though
today in Honolulu we have no visible
bread-line, it appears to the executive
committee that we are facing stu
alton, not a theory 1t will grow
worse until June at least. We be-
lieye the situation should be met at
once-that we should take time by
the foreIock. 1t seems to me the
board of supervisors should take the
initiative. And If in doing so you
need the assistance of the Associated
Charities we will be glad to do what
we can"
Present with Mr.. Lewis represent
ing the Associated Charities were
Spencer Bowen and Miss Emily Far
ley, head of the employment depart
ment. They both spoke Miss Farley
met the argument that the 200 or 300
immigrants now out OF jobs should
be deported. She pointed out that it
would entail an expense of approxi-
mately $4,000 to send these men and
their families back to their native
countries, and she observed that it
would be an unwise expedient, for
reasons aside from the cost. The
labor of all these men, she said, will
be in demand within a few months,
June or July at the. latest.
Would Slip the Buck.
Bowen reviewed the proposition he
made to the board originally. He
said:
Since making the proposition to
you we have not been idle. We find
that there are % men seeking work
through the Salvation Army, Al
through the Y. M. G. A., four through
the Portuguese consul, 90 through the
Spanish consul, 80 through the Fill
Pine agency here, and 152 through the
Associated Charities. In addition we
find there are about 100 Russians,
with small savings in the bank, who
are out of jobs. This brings the total
up to about 800"
Supervisor Paeheco declared the
situation was not one the city and
county should be made to face, that
it was brought on by the planters and
the territorial immigration officials,
and that they should meet it.
Il feel" he said, that we are not
responsible for this very deplorable
condition. But even if we had a mind
&c meet it, the law prohibits our do
ing so. The planters brought on this
condition-it is nut they should
crack And we should make them
crack it. ! greatly fear they brought
il on from desire. They wanted sur
plus of labor that they may reduce
the wage scale, and predict that they
will, in the near future, cut the
wages
viii Confer With Governor.
Mr.. Lewis asked the board to APP
point committee to confer with the
Charities. He said 4
1--WE want it plainly understood that
We are not trying to throw citizen la
bor out of employment. 1nis is no
political move We are not trying
to put you in hole. We think the
matter is sufficiently important for
a committee of the board of super
visors to meet with us. We are only
one agency Of several; we are simply
taking the initiative"
Mr.. Lewis suggestion was not act
ed on. Supervisor Wolter moved that
the whole thing be 'refrained from,
it appeared. that no action
be taken. But Supervisor PacheCc
asked that a committee of three be
appointed to confer with the COVER
nor. Mayor Fern named Supervisors
Facheco, Mcclellan and PetriC on the
The committee did not give an in
timation of what suggestions will DE
l. a.