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THE MAUI NEWS, SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1915.
THE MAUI NEWS
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Knterod at the Tost Offlce at Wailuku, Maul, Hawaii, as Bocond-clasa matter.
A Republican Paper Published in the Interest of the People
Issued Every Saturday.
MAUI PUBLISHING COMPANY,LIMITED,
Proprietors and Publishers
Subscription Rati:s, $2.50 per Year in Advance.
WILL J. COOPER,
SATURDAY,
EDITOR AND MANAGER
JANUARY 16, 1915.
co-operative association law needed.
The Kula farmers arc planning to incorporate lor the purpose of con
ducting a co-operative store. The homesteaders of the Haiku district
want a co-operative cannery. The Kapaa (Kauai) settlers are trying
to raise capital for a pineapple canning plant; and on Hawaii a co
operative creamery is believed to he needed. Several cane planting
associations are talking of incorporating. In fact the co-operative germ
is working in all parts of the Territory, though nothing much has as yet
been accomplished.
Hut every one of these efiorts is almost certainly foredoomed to fail
ure if it attempts at present to carry on an ordinary financial business
on co-operative lines. This isn't random talk. It has been demonstrated
lime and again in older communities first in Europe, and more re
cently through the stales where co-operation has been tried.
The reason is that under the ordinary corporation or association laws,
such as this Territory has at present, the shares which a company may
issue represent only Cash; and the voting power is represented only
by the shares. Dividends are ordinarily declared according to the
money presumed to be represented by the stock. Control of the stock,
controls the corporation; and there is probably no legal way to prevent
le owner of a share of captial stock from disposing of it to whom
nd as he sees fit.
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wn una win uui answer ior a irue co-operauve undertaking, in a
co-operative store for instance, profits are distributed, not according to
the CAPITAL represented, but according to the amount of goods each
member has purchased. In a cannery, profits go to the men who sup
plied the fruit, in accordance with the amount each furnished not to
those who simply had their money invested in the enterprise. All that
Capital can demand in a true co-operative company is a fair rate of
interest. Furthermore it has nq vote.
There are at present some seventeen states which have some form
of special law designed to cover co-operative associations. Some of
these provide that the voting power is represented simply by MEM
BERSHIP every member having but one vote. Some associations
vote according to the proportion of business the member does with his
company. Some by the amount of acreage he may have planted. But
the most approved form is where every member votes alike.
Another important feature is in the control of the membership. Most
commonly a member can only surrender his membership to the asso
nation. I hese two features the limiting of the earning power of the
capital invested to the legal rate of interest, and the control of the mem
bership by the association, are the two points in a co-operative assoeia
tion organized for profit, that are vital. Unless these exist, the organ
ization cannot keep control of its own business and the power will
quickly gravitate into the hands of a few, either in, or outside of, the
organization. And the more successful the company is in its under
taking, the more sure and speedy is its downfall.
If the various organizations of the Territory interested in co-operative
enterprise are alive to their best interests in fact if they wish to
have even a chance to make good they should get together and work
lor the passage by the coming legislature of a law embodying the points
above outlined.
8 8 8 tt 8
HO.XOLULU REALLY HAS A KNOCKER.
We didn't believe it, but we have had positive, definite evidence dur
ing the last week which we can't get away from that Honolulu has at
least one bona fide, deliberate "knocker". He is the manager of
leading Honolulu hotel, and is said to have rrever been on any other
island except Oahu. According to this tourist, who told a yery detailed
story, in tlie presence of witnesses, this hotel man strongly urged him
not to visit the volcano or Haleakala that they weren't worth seeing,
tne tr.p was hard, etc., etc. This traveller further stated that the
I:.ter-lsland booking clerk in Honolulu showed mighty little interest in
Aiaui when he was buying his itcket for the volcano in fact was quite
discouraging in his manner, and when pressed nevertheless for a stop
over ticket, charged $1.50 extra for the privilege. This gentleman was
so pleased with his visit here, that he was moved to express his surprise
at what he characterized the peculiar attitude of the Honolulu people.
This is not an imaginary story. If the promotion committee and Ad
club are interested they can be supplied with names.
8 8 8 8 8 ,
If the exposition commissioners will simply register warrants to cover
the salaries of the matron, janitor, fish-hostler, and official door opener,
for the first month, the legislature will be in session and another
$1 00,000 appropriation can be rushed through perhaps.
8 8 8 8 8
Opinions may differ as to who will eventually get the Parker mil
lions, but that the lawyers, experts, et al. will get theirs is not open to
argument.
8 8 8 8 8
There is every likelihood that Kuhio's bill in Congress granting
.oman suffrage in Hawaii, will pass. The measure is one of the kind
that can arouse but little opposition in Washington, and if it fails to
get through it will probably be because it is lost in the mass of legisla
tion, and not on account of any fight against it.
8 8 8 8 8
The directors of the Nevr York elevated railways have been declared
resposible for the wreck which cost the lives of a score of passengers.
Wonder how many of them will go to jail.
8 8 8 8 8
Judge Ashford refers to the "attempted invasion by the legislature
of the judicial field." The learned judge may be technically correct,
since Hawaii's jurists are federal appointees, but such putting-the-cart-before-the-horse
language rubs the hair the wrong way to an American,
just the same.
8 8 8 8 8
The Maui News has made arrangements by which a file of the Pacific
Commercial Advertiser will be kept intact at our office for conveni .-net
of our patrons who may care to consult it. Also the Maui News is
to be similarly filed in the Advertiser office, in Honolulu, where our
friends may find us on application.
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Kahului Railroad Co0 s
Merchandise Department
istributors
FIRST QUALITY
Well Seasoned
Eastern
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econd Growth
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Kahului, Maui, T. H.
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