The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-07-09
Ask Utilities. Board, To, Compel
Navigation companyTo AboI-
Z + ish Alleged Abuses ...,
PASSENGERS SUBJECTED,
TO 'INHUMAN TREATMENT
Vice President Mclean of Steam
ship Line Explains Third -.
Class PassengerT Traffic d.

Moses Kaualua, otherwise known as
George Moses, seaman in the employ
Of the Inter Island Steam Navigation
company, vanished from the cattle
steamer Wailele early on the morning
Of June 10. The disappearance was
reported to the Public Utilities Com.
mission at its meeting yesterday.
Kaualua was last seen asleep on the
deck at two O'Clock in the morning
AT eight O'Clock he was missing and
no explanation of his disappearance
ever has been established.
The accident at Lahaina, May /, in
which Japanese picture bride and
an aged Chinese, both deck passengers
on the Kilauea, were drowned, in an
attempt to make a landing, was up be.
fore the commission again Yesterday
but consideration was deferred until
n week from today. when a quorum
will be had. Owing to the frequent
necessary absences Of Commissioner
Williams and Chairman Forbes, the one
on private and the other on public
affairs, there is unavoidable delay in
doing business. At the meeting yes
terday Commissioners Forbes and Gig
noux> were the only two present.
Japanese society Protests
M. Negoro, general secretary of the
japanese Society of Hawaii, protested
by letter to the commission on May 28
at the treatment received by Inter
Island deck passengers of his race. He
attended the meeting yesterday to
make a fuller verbal explanation.
"In this connection" runs the orr
Ginal protest, 81 beg leave to call
your attention to the fact that the
matter has been under our consideration
for some time, and that a special meet
ing of the board of governors was
called a few days ago, which decided
to call a special meeting of the board
of counselOrs and, if necessary, a mass
meeting Of the japanese, in order to
have the Inter Island Steam Naviga.
ton Company conform it's treatment
Of Japanese third-elass passengers to
the dictates of humanity and the com
mou decorum between man and man. 1"
The complaint was accompanied by
a number OF editorials from the Japa-
nese newspapers, but inasmuch as only
one Of them had been translated, they
did not throw much light on the .ques-
ton, so far as the commission was
concerned.
Passengers Anege Abuses
Accordingly, Mr.. Negoro was re-
quested to attend in person, and make
his complaint more specific. He ex-
planned that Japanese deck passengers
often report that they are rou Thly han
died by the Inter Island seamen, trod-
den on and kicked about. Sailors, they
say, practise on them what amounts
to petty extortion by demanding that
they pay fifty cents for the use of
a mat, if they wish to have a com
Portable passage. Otherwise, they are
told, they aren't likely to enjoy their
trip,
No accompanying statement from the
company was at hand and considera-
ton was deferred until fuller informa-
tion could be obtained. Other communi-
cation filed were:
From the Hilo Electric Light Com
pany, application for an opinion on the
new rates which it proposes to put into
effect. The company Is installing
meters and abolishing its old fiat rates.
From the Hawaii Telephone Compa-
ny, application for an opinion on new
rates to 90 into effect August l.
From the Mutual Telephone Compa-
nv. application. for an opinion on its
right to demand two months payment
in advance from subscribers, which
right has been contested.
The commission disapproved a sug-
restion of the industrial accident board
that the two, bodies share offices in the
Kauikeolani building. Superintendent
Forbes promised to provide the board
with an office free Of rent in the cap
itol. The public utilities commission
has no room to spare in its present
quarters.