The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-03-22
FISH SITUATION
WORSE MUDDLED
y. now THAN EVER
Price OF Pond Mmlet Is Boosted
At Behest Of Governor Pink
ham apdMayor Fern
cHtLD'S LITTLE JOKE
:, - AMAZES FISHERMEN
Charges Of ,Hoarding Made BY
Eben Low Are Admitted, He
Says-Bluff Brings Results

,
Fish eaters OF Honolulu must pay
Ave cents pound more for mullet than
they have been paying, thanks to the
earnest efforts Of Governor Pihkham
and Mayor Perm. Such was the state
ment last night Of Eben Low, head Of
the FISH committee Of the Vigilance
Corps, following turbulent meeting
yesterday at which Food Administrator
Child sprang aslittle joke on the COM
munity that will cost II real money.
The result Of the meeting, which was
attended by Food Administrator Child,
MayOt Fern, Governor Pinkham and
counsel representing the pond mullet
men, Is that the fish situation, which
Child exultant1y announced some time
ago he had "settled" is now more
uriddled than ever. ''~Ff.r stR
boarding Is Charged na a"Ft .Hsg
Ebeu Low fatty charged at the meet
ing that the pond mullet men are
boarding fish, and he said last night
hat they calmly admitted" IL and vir-
tually asked what Child was going TO
10 about II. Child answered that ques-
tion by giving them permission TO
charge more for their fish. ~
\ According 20 Low; the pond mullet
men said that twenty cents pound
was not enough for pond mullet and
hat vas the reason few of them were
brought to market. They said that n
he price were raised, there would be
y Plentiful supply Immediately avail
Ible. ~ 49, #9
Governor to Rescue
a. ks.f.l 49, h. - Eftf hn
6sh brokers, according TO Mr.. Low. He
'ouldnt see any reason why they
shouldn't get their ten percent from
pond mullet, even though they, don't
hpndle them. Pond mullet. Mr.. Low
aid. have not had TO pass through the
hands of the 'middlemen heretofore but
have been brought straight from the
roducer to the market But that
lidn't satisfy Mr.. Pinkham. He thought
the price onght to be raised five cents
pound. according TO Mr.. Low. 10 the
poor brokers could get their slice.
Mayor Ferns who n short time ago
was loudly pdtocating ''cheaper fish,
tnd who Is still acheap fish man, ex-
| sept where pond mullet are concerned,
koknaed tho Governor remarks. Pond
mullets Ought by al means to sell for
more money, he thought.
Eben Eow hoped TO his feet with a
vigorous protest: He couldn't see why
the people Of Honolulu shorld pay Ave
cents aNpound more for fish. just to
Satisfy Governor Pinkham and Mayor
Fern, and, he said so in emphatic words.
>lso. he charged the pond mullet men
With boarding fish In order to force the
'6od Fdrr'-isfrntor,to raise the price.
chfld's Little Joke
! Tint WAS where Mr.. Child's little
ioke rrme iD. 4FhE, t.h @,HE%s
| saPbatis one on vouP said Child,
-rinHjrg IN naive delight at their as
6nished locks. He told them TINT they
Nd been - footing themselyesv and
i hat'1l'ere was nothing tolpreyent their
karging higher prices. ntA "a
| The fish men wercn Y the only ones
tho were amazed NJ Child = uAexpect.
II change of attitude Elsn Low
i Siurted right out in meeting that this
i 4 something entirely new to me, And
4 was MIR. 7 ow who was chiefly In.
strumental in fixing the fsh prizes
rhiah were recently published by Mr.
| Mr.. Low explained last night, how
lever. that when the fish prices were
Rxed no auction price for pond mullei
was given, as, because Mr.. Child had
larriyed At no agreement with the pond
| "''"tiet nan, they wore not sold mt ane
ton. Therefore Food Administrator
Child took the ground that they ~,
rot hound by the rules and regulations
| that AFFECT other fish interests.
The "ioken on them Is that the,
have supposed all along that they wer,
n hound and that the price OF twenty
cents pound fixed by Mr.. Child fo
nond mullet meant that pond MULE
. were to be sold for twenty cents I
pound. But, according to the inter
probation Of Mr.. Child, twenty cents
Nonnd really means twenty-five cents
nr any other price that the fish vendor
r6oose to charge. -a aS 8.
A ,Pieassnt surprise
Even Charlie Chillingwortb, who doe
not usually overlook point Of tina
ind. was agreeably surprised. CIV
thought the price on the blackboar
was the retail price" he said. tThi
Is something, unexpected. -. WE
Il The forty fish men who we're presen
at the turbulent meeting just sat an
stared In amaEement at Mr., Chile
And Mr., Child sat and smiled at theI
Extraordinarily.
HTbats one on YOU he said,
'@"tThe1H What is oil this meetin
sb6ut,'' demanded Elem Low. Their
Was % 6iiswer from the food admin
: istratpr, aud the fact soon began
! slft Through the pssRmb,age that
. was indeed one on them. .. ~, ts'
Previous to the unexpected apncunc'
: ment Of the point % the joke, NJ
. Child opinrd from the WEIGHT Of n
testimony that was presented by twei
!, ty. of the fish man present that, OH
n side Of delinquency on the part {
. a few pond men, there anpears to I
! no boarding Of ,6sb IN Hpnolniu an
a that the FETAL trfF6 IT tweutv cen
IL per pound seems Insufficient TO pr
vide proper compensation for the nr
dnetion Of an adequate supply Of mu
4 let. l.t.Es y.
n Then we can sell mullet at reta
Y at twenty-five cents per pound,
e asked Attorney Charles bhilhngwort
h at tho end Oh The hearing, ..E
4. AkIL.Lk- fNIgLkA II