The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-07-27
ABUSES ABOARD
. Fl. STEAMERS
NOT SUSTAINED
Charges Made BY Japanese Ed
tors Against Navigation Com
pany Are Not Proven
UTILITIES COMMISSION
HOLDS NIGHT SESSION
Hearing Breaks Up In General
Handshaking and Express
SionS of Good Will

So far as the testimony taken last
night before the Public Utilities com
mission showed, it develops that there
was more rhetoric than evidence and
more imagination than facts in the
chorus of denunciation raised by the
Japanese press against the Inter-Island
Steam Navigation Company, on the
score of alleged abuse and extortiOn.
Judging from the declamatory tone
Of the editorials supplied to the com
mission as the basis of the hearing,
the senate chamber should have been
packed with aggricved japanese. Four
appeared, and of these two testified,
and of the two that testified, both
were newspaper men and only one
had personal knowledge of the facts.
The hearing broke up in a general
haDhshaking, interpersed with expires.
sions of good will and declarations Of
sincere desire to reach a better un-
Outstanding.
No Personal knowledge
N. NegOrO, who brought the com
plant and who wrote one of the edi,
toria's submitted, was the first witness
called. He described his occupation as
"law business" but testified that he
appeared for no individual but solely
in the public interest.
Under questioning by Chairman
Forbes, it was brought out that he
had no personal knowledge of the
truth of any of the charges he had
made in his editorial, contributed to
the Hochi, with which he formerly
was connected editorially.
"This editorial, them, commented
the chair, twas written solely on hear
say. I'd like to have the secretary
read it. -
Secretary O'SuIIivan did so. The
Advertiser already had printed the ed
itOrial in a previous issue.
Redress 2rever Asked
Further questions developed that the
witness never had taken any complaint
to the Inter Island, although he had
knowledge Of the alleged ill-treatment
of Japanese by the company for the last
fifteen years; that, in support of his
charges, he could give the names of
only two witnesses. one of whom did
not appear; and that, though he stated
that there had been dissatisfact ton
among the japanese ever since they
came TO the Islands, none of them, to
his knowledge, ever had asked the com
pany for redress.
&" Didn't you know asked the chair
"didn t your people know that they had
some redressi'
1.-THE Japanese" explained the wit.
ness, care a very long suffering, pa
tient people, slow to take offense
when ill-treated by the rich and
powerful, they are apt to think no bet.
tor treatment can be obtained than il
accorded them. Now we We adopted
European standards.
oficial knowledge Debated
The editorial in the IIOchi declared
that the alleged abuses were of such
long standing general knowledge that
it was impossible for the company to
plead Ignorance to them. In the light
of his testimony, the witness was
asked if he was still of the same mind
1T is possible, - he answered, "that
the head officer did not know; but il
just AZ possible he did know"
Arthur q. Smith, acting attorney
general, inquired if Mr. Ncgoro, as 1
lawyer, meant to impute actual o.
merely constructive knowledge
'Constructlve kHowlcdgc,' he re
pred.
Inc personal experience of the wit
ness was confined to trips he had mad'
Twelve and thirteen years ago. He ha'
made no personal complaints at tn
time TO the ship officers or the com
Pahy, and he had no definite recOllec
ton OF any specific abuses.
Draws On Imagination
Il. w. Sutton. reuresenting the Iptar
Island asked what had nromnteJ hi
editorial. He replied that the arcidop
Mt Iabaina had hrougbt nm tho ,r;oy
ances of the race in the minds Of al
Japanese.
~. You don't know. as matter q
fact. what thew had in mind, do voug,
DIM. sir ),
ITben Won were drawing on Won
imagination
.-nYes SIR,