The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-09-06
of Food
BOardSaySt;
Link Openly
DefiedLaW

There is no ussyfooting in matters
Of patriotism on the part Of the Vete.
rams of Foreign Wars, who yesterday
sent out copies of a letter addressed to
r. II, Trent, commencing his stand re.
.garding the candidacy Of Il. i. McCand-
less for congress. The letter Is here
with reproduced and speaks for itself
1t is frank, outspoken statement by
men who have experienced war, who
have fought under the Stars and Stripes
and who know exactly what it is that
i, the sons of Hawaii are today going up
against, on sea and land. They know
the difference between going to the
front and staying behind 20 boost the
price Of food on wives, mothers and
babies Of boys in, Uniform.
Chairman Dole of the Territorial Food
Commission, in a, statement for The
Advertiser, details the history of the
price lfxing on FHawaiian rice and the
violations of the regulations by Me
Candless, violations made openly in the
face Of warning and for no other rea-
son, apparently, than to force the Ter
tions into 2 drawn;out lawsuit. Mr..
Dole 3 statement Is:
Dole.s Statement
ftMr. Richard H. Trent, in his letter
to the Democratic National Committee
as published in the morning paper,
said:--
] think the local food administra-
ton did the rice growers of Ha-
wall q rank injustice when they
deereed that Hawaiian grown rice
should be so unfairly diseriminat-
ed against in competition with rice
grown in California and in Japan
and sold in Hawaii = and
the fact that they selected Mr.. Me
Capdless for their victim suggests
f, also to my mind a doubt as TO the
bona tfdes Of the whole business.
"The Food Commission regrets that
Mr.. Trent should sthps, Apparently with.
out Investigation of the facts, accept
and give currency to Mr.. ,McCandless
assertion that the food authorities dis,
eliminated against Hawaiian grown
rice and selected him as a victim
"We would therefore like to sum
Marie the facts:
:" At the time the Food Commission
fixed the price Of Hawaiian, rice at
$500, HaMAli1n rice WAS wholesaling ut
not over $3.50 tand Japanese; rice at
from something under to a little over
$500 according TO the freight, rates
from Japan. Most of the current >Ha.
wRiian crop had been sold, a consider
able portion of the remainder being in
the hands of Mr.. MeCanlless.
ID" Most of the RICE growers were en-
tirely satisfied With also or $500, but
the Y. s. food administrator was unable
to get any Assurance from Mr.. Me
|. Candless that lpwould sell his stock of
rice at the $1.50 price already "volun-
tarily agreed to by most of the rice
men.
Anticipated Shortage
"Mr. Child anticipated rice short
age and, as the logical step to protect
the public from pyoflteering and to en-,
sure a square deal to the other rice
producers, requested the Food Commits
sion to fix a price for Hawaiian grown
rice.
1.-THE price was then fixed with the
idea that it should be!
"W High enough to stimulate the
maximum production (Which it did.
"(2) In line with the then current
price of Japanese rice, if imported at
a reasonable freight rate, and
"(3) AS fair as possible to the con
sumner.
1.-THE commission has taken the
ground that prOftesring in ocean
freight rates or otherwise is no excuse
for profteering at home. Our stand on
this point in reference to the McCand-
less case has been explicitly affirmed
by the U. s. Food Administration at
Washington.
1.-THE price then fixed by the com.
mission was subject to change, and
later was advanced to cover the new
crop.
1.-THE commission Mt all times has
stood ready to hear advice or evidence
from any source to show the need of
revising our action, but so far has
heard Of no complaint from any pro-
Queer except Mr.. McCandless.
McCandless Defles Law
"ShOrtly after our first price regu,
lation, a temporary shortage of rice
occurred. A small quantity Of Cali.
fornia rice apparently carrying seve,
raj coats of profit before it ever left
California; was imported and whole
sailed at over $40 per bag.
off il had not been for the United
States and local food regulations, both
imported and -domestic rice would have
sold much higher than it did.
"Mr. McCandless apparently felt
that, as he was not making as much
money as he could have made if the
government had let the rice price alone,
he was being disseminated against. If
this is discrimination, what about the
entire government control of prices,
material and menf
Specifically, at $500 for rice last
season, Mr.. 'McCandless obtained a
higher price than either the California
or the Japanese producers, incidentally
securing the profits of producer, middle.
man and wholesaler, as well as of land
owner.
"Mr. Child and members of the com.
mission urged upon Mr.. MeCandless the
advisability of harmony, self sacrifice
and compliance to the regulations, but
in spite of this, he deliberately defed
the law. If he is victim it is by
his own selection and not ours"
-W.s.A -
ADMIRAL NAMEn