The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-20
Governor THINKS
HOMESTEADERSOF
KAUAI SATISFIED
Objected At First To Terms Of
Cane Contract But He Has
Since Explained II To Them In
Letter -.- .i
BELIEVES COMMITTEE
WILL NOT COME NOW
Efforts To Get Plantation Inter-
ests To Agree To Changes
Suggested BY Garden Isle
Men M --E-Ls-.L n -. -

rs MeIl .st. -E..Eggg 4 ta .ssl .r..
SO dissatisfied Is, or was, the Kanai
Chamber of Commerce with the milling
agreement recently approved by the
territorial ADMINISTRATION to be entered
into by small planters and plantation
companies for the purchase of cane,
that IT wired the Governor last week
asking. If he would give an audience
to, a committee of that body. 4 N
Governor Mccarthy responded that
be would do so, but included with his
argwer explanations Of certain parts
OF the agreement to which objection
was taken by the Kauai homestead-
ers, which he believes will deter the
committee from now making special
trip to Honolulu for the conference as
was first intended. ..-.a a !
The objections to the agreement
were made by Elmer Cheathem, a
homesteader Of Kauai, at the annual
Meeting Of the Kauai Chamber OF
commerce. Cheatham asserted with
neat that the new contract was un.
fair. His main contention was that
under the new contract the small plant.
ers will receive only $4S while the
mill will get $7l.66 for every ton of
sugar. AS an aside criticism he said:
Refers To Old Sore
"Had the government left US alone
we should have at the present time
two railroads instead of one" The
reference was to this old Lihue Makee
railroad controversy.
In a communication to the Govern
or, Uheatham, and also r. d. Israel,
said that on Kauai it took nine tons
Of cane usually to make ton Of sugar,
instead Of eight, the purehssea basis
in the new contract. There was crit.
ieism also Of the five percent deduction
tor trash, as it is claimed there is no
trash waste on Kauai where the cane
is burned before grinding.
AfUer Cheatham had stated his OBJ.
iections to the contract, a committee
to confer with the Governor was ap-
pointed by the Kauai Chamber Of
Commerce. Besides Cheatham, those
named on the committee were as fol-
lows:
F. Tracey, Frank Crawford, Charles
Wilcox and j. NJ. Lidgate.
May Not Come
Since the Kauai delegation did not
arrive here on Sunday and as the
Kauai Chamber of Commerce has had
time to receive an answer, the Gov
Cruor has made to the body, with the
assistance Of Assistant Attorney Gen
cral Harry Irwin, who was instrument
al in getting the plantation men to
agree to the new contract, the Gov
rrnor does not believe the committee
will now come to Honolulu.
Nothing rould be gained by their
doing so. They could only tell US
Verbally what has already been told
to tho administration in the letters
from Mr.. Chcatham and Mr.. Israel. -
The Governor says that Attorney
Irwin holds that some Of the points
raised by the Kauai hOmesteaders are
we'll taken and that efforts are now
being taken to get the plantation IN
tercsts to agree to changes wanted.
"Some of the points brought up
by the Kauai hOmeSteaders are identl'
cal with those raised by Mr.. Irwin
while the agreement was under con
sideration," he says.
Powers of Government
lie emphasizes that it is the hope
Of the administration to look after the
interests of the homes eaders, but ex-
plains that the territorial government
has no power to force the plantation
men to agree to any part of the con
tract, If they wished to refuse to do
80. Besides this the administration
had to keep In mind the intent back
of the presidential proclamation to
keep up the maximum production Of
surar In Hawaii.
This is one of the points made in
the letter of Attorney Irwin which the
Governor has sent to the Kauai home
steadcrs, and in which an appeal is
made to their patriotism. 1t Is point
ed out that the contract form is not a
permanent one, but only for two crops.
In addition the Governor assures the
ohirctors that the peculiar conditions
in which Kauai differs from Hawaii
are to be carefully considered and
every effort made to get the plantation
men to agree to the changes wanted.
"In fact" the Governor says, lone
of the representatives of the planta-
tion interests has already agreed that
there should be some changes for the
form of contract used on Kauai, and
approval of these changes by the plan
tRtion attorneys only awaits the re-
turn of one of them from trip to
Maui.
- ". 8. 5.