Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-13
ABOUT FISH AND THE FISH
.~@ PROBLEM.


like to address an open letter to our
eminent fish commissioners. + be
lieVe that they are in urgent need OF
shaking up. Standing water stag
mates, but it is not the publ!c's lnten
ton to allow stagnation IL matters
relating to its welfare 49,.
Gentlemen Of the Fish Commission
You have met, scrapped, tailed a iot
landed a few jabs-and arrived at
nothing. A public meeting has been
called at which no results have been
attained.
What is the reason of it? Why can't
the commission arrive at detlnlte
understanding? Where are you at
and what are you going to do?
These are queries that we nave a
right to put. Dictatorial control has
been placed in your hands and un
limited powers entrusted to you, but
you are not to forget that you are
public servants, and that Honolulu
expects you to stand by your guns.
There is no pro or con in the mat
ter. 1t is strictly up to you Your
duty to the public is plain. 4
1t doesn't do any good to say that
prices are high but that the middle
men must be taken care OF. we are
not concerned with the welfare OF
the fishing companies. or the unneces'
sary stall-men, or the squeezing auc'
tioneers, or any or all of that ho1 pol
loi. The public wants to be rid OF
them.
And the commission known all that
there is supposed to be known. It's
your job-nobody else's. You nave
the right and are, in duty bound, TO
investigate 1t is out Of the question
for you to deny that you have not
the figures or the data or the stats
tics. You know who Is making the
money, and who is grabbing it all
And you know just who is squeezing
tie public.
The commission need not be told
that fishing companies and the rest
of that ilk are unnecessary. You are
broad-minded men, and all of you are
in business.
Most, if not ALL of you have travel
ed, and you are aware of fishing con
d:tions away from here. You know
how it's done in cities OF the main
land. Apply that knowledge to Homo
lulu and establish a territorial distri'
buting market.
It is said that the fishermen can't
make money even Oh present condl'
tions. Nobody denies it. In fact, we
offer them our sympathies knowing
that they are being squeezed, and
sat upon, and made to come through
by the higher-ups. But matters would
change for the better, were the fish
ermen allowed to sell direct to the
consumer.
There's no sense in saying that the
fishermen can't exist without the fish
ing companies You know it just as
we'll as we do. The nimrods OF the
deep can very we'll take care OF them
selves, if they are given that chance.
And you are going to give 1t to them,
gentlemen, whether it agrees with
your system or not.
Nor will it better things to allow
the fishing companies to combine,
making a fish trust out Of them. And
that is what you will be doing if you
allow Mr.. Chillingworth or MIR. Win
ston, or Mr.. Cooke to merge into a
common syndicate. It's bad enough
as it is, don't make it any worse.
Your purpose should be to break up
monopolies-not create them. 1t is
not your right to tolerate merger
seeking to avoid all competition. as It
is not your prerogative to violate the
Sherman antitrust provisions. :
There is but one solution TO tire
question and only one DO away with
the middIemen. No amount Of argu.
ment will convince the public that
they are anything more than blood
suckers. We have suffered too long,
and cannot tolerate anything other
than the establishment of govern
ment market. And you cannot deny
that this is the only logical thing to
do
1t is true that a territorial fish
market has proven a failure in the
past. You have taken great pains to
explain this, and to decide that what
is of yesterday must be true of today.
But we don't want you to grow beard
ed in antiquity. The public demands
and expects every ounce of modern
ity entering into your sinews. You
are expected to be men of the hour
and nothing else. =
And since you are public body, it
is your manifest duty to meet the pub
lie full-way. Star-chamber proceedings
cannot and will not count. You have
got to take the public and the press
into your confidence 1t is incumbent
upon you to call mass-meeting where
the issues may be debated, and the
will of the people ascertained.
And it is your duty to shake our
genial mayor out of his slumbers, our
learned supervisors out of their som,
and our excellent sheriff
out of his catalepsy. They are all pub
lie servants, and they have all an in