Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-16

y Honolulu, /. h., March 10, 1917.
= Board of Harbor Commissioners 4
\ of the Territory Of Hawaii I
y Honolulu, T. H. \
\ Gentlemen: In reply to your \
y Communication of the 18th inst,
= inclosing a resolution of your 4
= board to the effect that We be 4
= notified at once that the steam =
= ship Pommern and the steamship 4
=. Setos may remain at their res 4
= pective berths at Piers Z and I6, I
= provided that the masters, Off,
= GERS, crews and other persons
= now aboard said ships be imMe- \
y diately withdrawn from said 4
= ships and said ships placed In i,
= care Of watchmen provided by =
= and under the control of YOUR \
= boa, we beg to advise you that
y such action would be an abandon :
y ment Of the ships by the owners 4
4 and inconsistent with the rights 4
= and privileges granted TO the YES. 4
= sells By the United States govern I
= ment, and for these REASONS, as Z
= agents of the owners, we cannot
= consent to the proposal
\ We would state that we arc Z
y willing now. as we have hAep IT 4
= all times since the ships ilavsft
been in the harbor Of Honolulu, 4
y to cooperate with your board. and Z
= with the other authorities, in any :
y reasonable plan that may be =
\ suggested whereby the ships in 4
\ question will be AFFORDED safe =
= anchorage during the time they =
= have the status of refugee YES. =
y sells.
= Very truly yours,
= H. HACKFELD & Co. LTD, :
By F. w. KLEBAHN. =
= This reply was received after =
= the board took action this morn. =
= ing to move the Pommern out =
= side.
= y \ \ ~ \ y \ \ y = = =
Taking the stand that II. Haekfeld
& Company, Ltd, local agent for the
refugee German merchant steamers,
has broken its promises by refusing
to sign the 100000 indemnity bond,
The board Of harbor commissioners this
at a special public meeting
ordered the Pommern moved outside
The harbor within ~ hours from the
time the harbormaster serves notice;
also voted to have the harbormaster
place such moorings on the Seto5 as
will prevent her leaving her berth, and
passed a resolution asking percussion
from the army engineers office to
drive 'dolphins" in Rotten Row pre-
paratory to mOoring both steamers
there so they will not continue to be
3 menace to the waterfront.
The meeting came to order at 9:15
this morning, after no reply from H.
Hackfeld & Company or its attorneys
In answer to the "ultimatum" served
on the agents late Thursday afternoon
by the board, as published In last
evenings o'clock extra edition Of the
Starr Bulletin. had been. received.
TT is now 9:15 and we have not
had reply from Hackfeld's, said
Chairman Forbes as he called the
meeting to order, with every member
present except w. H. Mcclellan, who
was said to be on the sick list. we
have put in a good deal or time trying
10 get some action from the agents
and all concerned, but owing to Hack.
fields refusal to sign the bond we
have not advanced far at our last two
would like to ask the
members II IL is not possible to agree
and to take the Pommern and Setos
where they will be as little menace as
possible to the territory"
Commissioner Tom Church then
spoke in favor of quick action. He
said F. w. Klebahn, manager Of Hack.
'eld's shipping department, had given
he board his personal assurance that
10 further damage would be done the
vessels, but that under questioning an
hour later had admitted that hfs as
surances could not be guaranteed and
hat orders for the masters TO scuttle
he steamers might come again and
he would know nothing of them
1--WE have received no answer from
4ackfeld.'' said Church, and IAN
lot help but feel that they win not
answer and that II would be rseless
or us to wait further. Big things are
likely to happen and happen quickly.
think We should take some action
fight now"
lac,teld's Charged with unfaIrpsss
Il fully agree with Mr.. Church, s
e., f..