The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-05-04
Hustace, Peck Company Comes
In For Attack At Hearing
Before supeFvlsors
CITY ENGINEER COLLINS
ALSO SCORED By TAKERS


..It 4 ''III j.. ~ - ri T.. 81.
For two and half hours yesterday
afternoon representatives Of half
dozen responsible business firms sat
in a circle around the assembly
room Of the city hall and passed the
buck from one TO the other on the
question: Of responsibility for the de-
lay on the Manoa Improvement Dis
tfiet No. I contract.
The hearing was under the auspices
Of the road COMMITTEES Of the board Of
supervisors, with Arnold and AHA
present for the committee and the
other member, Larsen, present for the
Hnstnce Peck Company, upon whom
the blame was placed by the contractors
The wnrmest moment Of the meeting
came after the second hour when VIII
liam Hoogs made flat footed state
ment, from his observation and know
ledge Of interpretation, that the blame
rested entirely upon the Hustnce Peck
Company, which is, he said trying 70
carry on more Jobs than Il can handle
and is making goat out OF the con,
tractor Hogs was q spectator az
the meeting but added most materially
70 Il, for Larsen sprang up 70 defend
tue nAuNNk cofuYANI "h' 'hot."t ~
doing that stumbled into q confession
Of Just what II was accused Of. He left
Immediately afterwards.
letter was read from the f. r,
Richie company. the contractors, at
the opening Of the meeting that fatty
put the blame for the delay on the
hauling company. which IL accused Of
irving TO sshog the contract " in the
fnce Of its inability TO handle IL. The
reluctance Of the contractors TO push
this claim was shown ninety minutes
later when their representative, +, II
Richie, denied that the letter contain
ca any such assertion and II had to bs
read over again to prove that It did.
Company Is Blamed
This letter opened with an agree
menf with City Engineer Collins, stat
ing that official was correct when h
said not enough material was beinl
hauled TO the site of the contract. Bit
chic blamed this on Hustace Peck Com
pany, and stated that the concern evi
IDENTIFY has not enough equipment 4
handle the work. He continued b,
saying that he had asked for co-opera
ton between the hauling companies o
the city in order TO get the rock tina
he required and that while the Homo
lulu Construction and Draying Com
psny Is willing to cooperate, the Illus
tace Peek Company threatened to &c
on the Job If its competitor was ad
United to the work. Richie also aske'
that the bad weather he had experienc
4 ed be considered.
Manoa had representing II a humble
of its residents WHO were among tn
best known engineers and attorneys !
town, including Guy II. Gere, J. "
Caldwell, w. II. Hogs, l.. ID. Ware
aud others. Mr.. Gere 8 voice was raii
I'D mi favor Of forgetting the past an
working ont a get-together basis fo
the future, hut Costello, Ritchie's al
sistant, later sailed into him belligel
emily, denied all Of the engineerin
fgnres Gere supplied and wound u
with the general statement that ~
is no wonder that Honolulu did ne
have an asphalt macadam street worth
of the name, with such rotten method
Of constructions used = Gere cha
lenged that statement but Costell
shouted him down.
Gere Comes Back
Later Gere returned after havin
left the meeting, and announced tbs
all arguments to the contrary, two no
lers could not roll $50 yards of rock
day, which was the original start (
the argument. II is Ritchie's eontei
tion that his two rollers are sufIieiel
equipment Of that sort. II is the cit
engineers contention that IT is not an
all engineers present backed him up.
]. w. Caldwell stated that in h
opinion Ritchie's equipment would nes
two more rollers and two 600-gallc
asphalt heaterA before II could hand
the job In time.
Mr.. Warren voiced the neutrali
Of the Manoa residents and said TIL
as he understood matters, il was 81
to the contractor"
The investigation practically begi
with a cross questioning by Depu
City Attorney Cristy of the city 9
gineer, George M. Collins, and the Ia
ter went over the history of the wo
and explained the attitude of h
Office, which was summed up in 4
lotter sent to.the contractors on Febr
AIRY 20, ordering them to perform h
work in certain way in order
finish the job in time.
Richie then took the floor al
offered, If il was necessary, TO put
an extra roller and auto truck, but
no time during the hearing did he a
init that extra equipment was nee,
sory He would not consider I
proposition Of putting on three rollC
and two extra heaters, arguing that
M. Whitehouse had accomplished mu
the same job with one heater and o
tandem roller
II waa here that he diyerged FRI
the views expressed In his letter.
answer to direct questions he 81
that his delay on the Job was due pa
" TO lnek Of material and partly
the dietntion Of City Engineer Coli
Ritahie continued by claiming that
was not poy using all of his eqn
monf and that he had roller Gee
aionally standing idle, He renew
his offer 70 put on another hea
when the material arrived but not
, ILL.,. and fha or0tuaoffnfr fsnaaffon