The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-04-30
COMMANDEERING OF
FISHING SANPANS
NOW THREATENED
Eben Low Auctions OH Catch
and Public Secures Ample
Supply AT Lower Price =.
COMPANIES ARE TOLD
i ! . X WHERE TO "nEAD M
Stands For Fishermen TO Sell
Their Own Catch Is An Sc
other Possibility


-.F -----E---- z,grs..
Communicating OF the fishing sam
pans IL the fish companies do not meet
the demands Of the public and the food
administration for plentiful supply
ut reasonable prices when fish are
available and the opening up of stalls
for the fishermen to sell their own
catches IL this should be found neces
sary were two promises made by Eben
Low yesterday morning He took owe,
the auctioning Of FISH himself and start
ID the bidding at figures offered by the
stall men, not at the maximum figure
set by the food administration. He GO
results. The Representatives of th'
fishing companies face the taking oveI
Of their fishing craft by the govern
ment. At last determination to SCI
that the mark1t is supplied with fish
70 be sold ut fair prices has been evi
deDced. -
Eben Low Acts
Eben Low took the bull by the
horns yesterday morning. He also
dropped bombsheIl in the camp Of the
~
suited in a drop in price of this staple
commodity Of nearly fifty percent. For
he first time in many months there was
'sh on the slabs at the public market
for sale mp to closing time last night
md sales were heavy all day at prices
somewhere within the realms of ren
son. $50 -.
Maximum Made Minimum
It. has been the custom in the past
FOR the fish companies TO have their
own agents act as auctioneers at th'
fshmarket when the daily catches were
brought in. A maximum price is SCI
For the fish by the food commission
Instead Of starting at low figure
when the sale opens, it has been the
custom of these 'auctioneers to take the
maximpm Drice set for the day and bid
ding would start from there. This
pheme worked OUT beautifully-for the
fish cOmpa MES and the dear public was
left "holding the bag" and paying
prices for fab which were about three
times as much as that paid on the main
land.
Low Works Differently
Armed with authority from Food AID
ministrator Child, Eben Low, who j.
familiarity known in shipping circles b.
| he. "Cow Boy Mariner of Hawaii
lropped in unannounced nt the daily
| tsh auction Yesterday morning and took
, charge Of the auetiOneer's stBud. Low
explained in a few short words that be
vas representing the federal food com
mission and that he would handle tho
| ructiOn in person. For a moment there
vas CONSERVATION among the variou'
heads of the fish companies and q hur
ried consultation was held. Low Their
| Npend the sale, allowing the stall own
ars TO start bidding ut minimum price
and closing each individual sale at tn
market price of the fish set by the FOOD
commission. In many instances the
prices only reached about hrlf that se
w the commission. The closing bids
were then set as the market price foI
the day and so marked up on the black
board, which is set up in the fishmarke'
| -" this nurDOse.
Where To Head In
At the close of the auction Mr.. Low
called the heads of the fish companies,
the fishermen and the stall owners 70
gether and a thorough explanation Of
the meaning of the federal food com
mission laws was made to them.
Low explained that II any of the fish
| dealers were not satisfied with the pro
cedure he followed yesterday and at
| tempted in any way to destroy the
catches Of fish brought in; or have
them placed in cold storage, awaiting
higher prices, drastic measures would
be taken by the federal authorities. In
a straight-frOm-t the shoulder talk he
told the heads of some of the fish com.
panies that If there were any signs of
| profteering by them in the future that
not only would their sampans be
seized by the federal government and
their licenses to fish in Hawaiian wa
tiers be cancelled, but the strong arm
of the federal law would be invoked
and few Of them would land in the
federal wing of High Sheriff Jarrett =
new prison. ... t,,-l :
May Commander MarkA
'"If these methods, do not bring about
satisfactory results there is one resort
left which has proven more than a sue.
cess on the mainland. and that is for
the federal government to seize the
property of the fshmarket for the
period of the war; taKe full charge of
the conditions there and cnt the re-
suits of the stalls there to a figure
somewhere within reason. ! hope we
will not have to resort to this, drastic
measure but. as sure as the sun riser
tomorrow, this will be done II food
prices are not regulated at these pub
lie markets in keeping with the spirit
Of the times.
At recent meeting of the board OF
supervisors, Supervisor Hollinger pre-
scented figures to the board showing
that one of the markets which origin
nllv cost $4,000 some wears ago To
build cleaned up profit Of $4,000
last year. Another market, which cost
originally to build, $4,000, showed a
net profit last year of $4,000; all
of which the dear public has paid until
the advent of Eben Lows drastic ac'