The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-01-21
GOVERNOR DEMANDS
RESIGNATION FROM
LAND OFFICE HEAD
Executive Writes Two Letters
Asking Mr.. Tucker For Undated
Letter Of Retirement
OFFICIAL STANDS PAT ">
UNDER ORGANIC LAW
Term Docs Not Cease Until Next
March and win Stick 49,.
1t Out

2 Joshua d. Tucker will not resign
from the Office of land commissioner
for Hawaii, although the Governor has
urgently requested him TO do so in two
separate letters. The first letter from
the chief executive was sent to the
land commissioner on January 4, the
second on January IS. ...'.
The Governor yesterday announced
that he had received no answer to
either letter. Mr.. Tucker, however, is
known to have written q letter in reply
to the last letter of the Governor, in
which he fatty declines to resign.
This letter, which Mr.. Tucker opens
by the statement that it is "neither
private nor confidential, d" says the com.
missioner has received the demands for
his undated resignation, and has de.
cided that "there is nothing in the
Organic Act that calls for undated res.
ignations." Furthermore, Tucker adds
that he is not going to send any sort
OF Q resignation, either dated or un.
dated, as there is notb<lg so far as
Lean find in the laws of the Territory
that call for il.
Governor Writes Two Letters ..,
The Governors letters leave no
doubt just where he stands in regard
to the continued presence Of Tucker as
a member Of the official family. He
wants Josh out and wants him to get
out at once. ',"..
The first letter, which is headed
private and personal" reads as fol
lows: EE#7. .
January 4, 1916. 49,.
Joshua ID. Tucker, ESQ.,, Land
Commissioner, Territory of Hawaii,
Honolulu, T. H.
800 Sir:--You will at once hand me
your undated resignation. No ex-
PLANTATION of the reasons for this
request are necessary. Whether or
not such undated resignation will
be used depends on circumstances
within your control. a.
Yours very truly,
LUCIUS Il. PTNKHAM,
Governor of Hawaii.
To this letter, so the Governor as
serts, the commissioner paid not the
slightest heed. Indeed, Mr.. Pinkham
says that save for a heeting glance he
has not seen the land commissioner
since December 81, After waiting for
more than two weeks for a reply,
Governor Pinkham sent the following
letter to Mr. Tucker.
Private and Confidential
January is, 1916.
Joshua d. Tucker, Land Commits
sioner,
Sri-TNot having had any com.
mun1cation from you or a call from
You in person since December 81, 2
1919, and having had no response
to my request for your undated
.Sres' gnation, which was to be used
only eonditionally, | now request
your prompt resignation from the
Office of Land Commissioner of the
y Territory of Hawaii.
Respectfully,
LUCIUS Z. PINKHAM,
Governor of Hawaii.
Tucker Makes First Reply
This letter, it is said, brought Tuck
er's first reply, although he had been
ready to answer before, had not friends
advised his keeping silence. Tucker
takes the stand that his term of Office |
expires March 4, 1916, and that urtil
that time he is going to stay in office
unless the senate of the Territory con
ours with the Governor demand for
his resignation. Under the law the
commissioner, who was confirmed in
0AIee by the senate, can be removed
only with the approval of that body. |
Naturally, with the capitol humming
with such bit of news, there was
great deal of talk about the probable |
successor TO the present land commits,
sioner and several names were prom.
inently mentioned. Bertram G. Riven,
bnrgh, former manager of KapiolanI
Park and at one time secretary TO
Former Mayor Fern, now an employe
in the tax assessors office, was the
most talked-a5out, although Palmer
Woods was also associated with the
vacancy
Governor Pinkham merely shook his
head when these names were mentioned
10 him, and he was asked for a state
ment regarding his plans.
sktI shall take Mr.. Rivenburgh . |
name under advisement just as would
that Of any other applicant for the
post, y said the Governor 81 have
not as yet made up my mind regard.
ing the matter, and until do it would
be worse than useless for me to speak
about it,
MIR. Pinlxham Makes Statement
4 Nor would Governor Pnkham dis
cnss his reasons for asking for the
resignation of Mr.. Tucker. 1t was
with reluctance that he gave out the
contents of the, letters he had sent 10
the commissioner, aud only after he
learned that rumOr was busy with the |
whole affair, He made the following |
statement, which he said covered the
case so far as he was concerned:
ia representative of The Advertis |
or has informed me that there were
numerous rumors and statements rela.
~ +. y So. -,