Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-17

up over the telephone by the Star
Bulletin at 1906 this afternoon.
why will you not send il, gov
ornor?" he was asked
THAT is my own business" replied
the executive and closed the interview
but later he gave the brief statement
printed herewith.
That the refusal OF the local Natson
agency, Young Brothers and the later.
tug or vessel powerful enough TO tow
the Pommern outside was due TO a
circular letter sent each firm by H.
Hackfeld & Company. Ltd, came to
light when the board met at 10: Is
this morning. ~.
Warnings Are Sent r..
Commissioning Tom Church said
Alexander & Baldwin. as agents for
the Kahului Railway Company had re-
ceiyed a communication from Hack.
field & Company as agents for the
German steamers, the wording of the
letter being identical with that re-
ceived by the harbor board this morn.
ing from the local agency and printed
in today's issue Of the Star-Bulletin.
Church said he believed similar COM
munlcations had been sent to the tug
boat owners and the lnter-lsland
The letter from Hackfeld & Com
pany says in effect that the German
firm will hold responsible for dam
ages resulting to the steamer or.her
crew from anchorage outside, any per-
sons or firms loaning the harbor
board a tug or vessel to tow the
steamer ont OF the harbor.
Hackfeld e. Company's letter came
as big surprise to the commission
ers when it was read The board
came TO order at 1915 and Chairman
Forbes. read the communication, after
which Harbormaster Foster appeared
before the board and was asked by
Forbes If he had followed out the in.
structions given him Friday in the
resolution passed by the board author
izing him to hire tugs and have the
Pommern towned outside If the steam.
er's master refused to do so.
Captain Refuses to Move
i received a copy II the letter from
Hackfeld & Company this morning
and went aboard the Rommern," said
the harbormaster. Il asked Captain
Minssen if he intended to comply with
my instructions to have him take his
vessel outside the harbor. He said
No and I then went to Castle &
Cooke, who refused me the use of the
tug Intrepid; to Young Brothers. who
would not let me have the Makaala;
and to the InterIsland, where | met
with the same reply"
Captain Foster said earlier in the
day that he had set 10 o'clock this
morning as the time limit for Captain
Minssen to begin moving the Pom
mern outside, and that, the hour of
a. m. as published in morning paper
was incorrect and had not been given
out by him.
Captain Clark Unable To Act
Refusal to loan the u. S. tug Navajo
was made by Capt. George r. Clark,
of the u. s. naval station
at Pearl Harbor, to Chairman Charles
r. Forbes of the harbor board when
Forbes called up the commandant over
the telephone following the negative
action of the local firms owning tugs
suitable for towing the Pommern.
Captain Clark said, according to
Forbes statement to the commission
ers. he could not grant the use of the
navy tug Navajo because, the navy
head told Forbes, the situation lis
purely local one" and not withini his
The board after talking over the sit.
uation from every angle passed res
olution to write the Inter-Island,
Castle & Cooke. Young Brothers and
the Oahu Shipping Company request
ing the use of a tug or vessel. Deputy
Attorney-Gene Arthur G. Smith
suggested that the board endeavor to
charter a tug or Inter-Island steamer
for two days, by which the board
would. he thought, be able to relieve
the owners of responsibility. No
action was taken on his suggestion.
The board then drew up the cable
message and before it adjourned voted
to provide the proper committees of
both houses of the legislature with
copies of it, requesting them also to
with Secretary Lane
asking the use of the navy tug.