Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 12, 1 Kekemapa 1997 — KSBE AND THE MEDIA [ARTICLE]

KSBE AND THE MEDIA

Mueh of the weahh that the Bishop Estate now enjoys is through the wise investment of two former trustees, Hung Wo Ching, a financial wizard, and Matsuo Takabuki, an expert on real estate matters. They set policy whieh I believe the current trustees follow. I was told Takabuki still has an office within the Estate. What bothers me with the ongoing controversy is the unkind reporting that spews out half-truths. From 1 882 through 1 940, when the trustees were an all-haole group of five with missionary ties, there was no media coverage of irregularities, and there were many. Decisions detrimental to the estate but profitable to the American businessmen were the nonn. Most of the valuable land was put out to lease to friends and families at next to nothing with long leases. That's why until 1940 the Estate was land rich and money poor. The Estate was broke and could only educate 350 boys and girls a year. The eunieulum was set for the trades and few graduates ever went on to the professions. The school has eome a long way since then, a vast improvement. I attended the Kamehameha Schools ffom 1 937 until 1 94 1 . The mishandling of estate matters was more pronounced then, yet there was never any real investigation. Where were the news media? Their silence was deafening! Paul D. Lemke Kapa'a