The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-05-02

u ann LLlL must NJAullilu the ul4udliICl dp-
proval Of the country it only remains for our
Legislators on their part to display equal wisdom
in providing means and in deyising and planning
the details Of execution, to render the session Of
1874 long and gratefully to be remembered as
the turning point in our national history
= TnE ARRIVAL Of His Majesty in town on satur-
day last, completed a Royal Progress throughout:
tie islands that in systematic thoroughness has
never been equalled by any of our Kings, since
the first Kamehamcha. Occasionally, during
their several reigns, His Majesty ; predecessors
have made short visits to particular portions of
their dominions, but there were r4any localities
tiat had never been honored by tie presence of
tn Sovereign until now. Coming to the Throne
a little over two months ago, His Majesty has dur
ing that brief interval industriously journeyed
by sea and land, and has visited in their homes
and spoken in person to the great majority of his
subjects, from kau 10 Kauai. The general effect
cannot be Otherwise than beneficial; inasmuch as
that not only are King and people made better
acquainted with each other, but the latter, in
listening to the paternal and stirring addresses of
His Majesty and pcrceiying the deep and active
interest he cyinccs in their welfare. and improve
ment, will ponder the meaning and spirit of his
utteranecs, (taken up and repeated by the press)
and thus the nation may be aroused to new life
and activity in the work of self preservation and
recuperation. The King in this regard may be
styled a Missionary, who has gone out among his
people preaching a new political gospel. His
Majesty evidently believes that the people lave
within themselves the elements of recuperation,
and he struck the keynote to new life and vigor
when at Lahaina he said to his hearers Let US
thoroughly renOvate our own selves, to the end
that, causes Of decay being removed, the nation
may grow again with new life and vigor.'' And
will not every one that has any spark of aloha for
Hawaii and the Hawaiians lend every possible aid
in seconding the efforts Of our King for the pre-
servation and the growth Of the race? To repeat
what we have once before said in this connection
-" BY assuming that the Hawaiian race is posi-
lively doomed to disappear from the face of the
earth, we are helping along that result; but if We
assume the cOntTary-if we but Undue the people
with the idea that they have within themselves
the elements of renewed life, and that they are
not a dying People-they will live"
HERE APPEARS to be a general belief that the
present Legislature will, when it comes to the
consideration of the biennial Bill of Appropria-
! IlOl5Y dpIly luC ltlllSIliC VI dNHS
thoroughly, and make reductions in the salaries
of all government officials. There is no question
as to the absolute necessity of retrenchment in
some of the government expenditures. This is
patent enough to all, even without the confrma-
ton which will be afforded by the Report of the
Minister of Finance. The word then, will be,
economy and reduction of expenses in every di-
~reetion; and it will require the exercise OF no lit
tie discretion and tact Oh the part of the admins
tration to keep the zeal for retrenchment within
proper bounds, so as not to absolutely cripple the
public service. While there are undoubtedly
many items of customary expenditure that on
careful examination it will be found may be either
considerably reduced or dispensed with altogether,
there are again many that will not come under
that category, and the dropping of which, or
their reduction to 4 less amount, will be no econ
omy ut all, but q positive injury. In the man
agement of the affairs Of the state, equally with
those of lesser concerns, it is always found that a
fair price is necessary in order to secure good ser
vice, and that the converse will be likely to result
from undergrad employees. This is 4 view of the
subject which it is to be hoped Hon. members will
not overlook.
And again, let them remember that q timid and
| llLrllllJl4lyNH leAANg AZ ANrE~-e ~ N"-- A"'
ing in view the development Of our dormant re-
sources,.measures which will lead to the intro
ductlon here Of labor and capital-wiIl be the
most suicidal of policies. This Is n critical
period in the life Of the nation, and n false step
now,-or a failure TO take any step whatever
may bring disaster from which there shall be nc
recovery, consistent with the preservation of our
autonomy. We are aware that the sentiment is
somewhat prevalent among the people that 4 pub.
lie debt is 20 be feared and deprecated as a great
national evil. IL Will be for the administration
at this session OF the Legislature, to read members
lessons on this branch of political economy. AT
present. the national debt Of this country is q
mere trihc, owed wholly to our own people, and
the provision required TO be made to meet the an.
nuaIly accruing interest is small. If, by borrow.
ing q half n million this year, we can 50 increase
the number Of our tax payers and develop our re-
sources that ut the end Of five years we shall have
added q million to the national wealth-then LET
us not be frightened by the bngbcar of a national
debt. Certain internal improvements are seri-
ously needed, in order that commerce and agricul.
ture may be encouraged and revived, and it Is
difficult to see how these can be brought about
without having recourse to a loan.
We shall watch the proceedings during the
session of the Legislature which has now CON-
menced, with more than ordinary interest and
solicitude. More than ever in the history of Ha-
waiian parliaments, the present Ministry must be
held accountable if nothing tangible and really
for the advancement Of thecountry shall be accom-
plished. during the next two months. For there
is absolutely no opposition in the House, all the
leading Representatives being government adher-
ents, and the plan of operations which we are to
suppose the administration has projected, includ-
ing important measures of public policy, can be
carried through with ease, and as rapidly as is