The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-07-21
Mr.. W. O. SMITH AND THE At
T0RNEY-GENERkl,

According to our reporter, the
Hon. w. o. Smith wanted to know
in the Legislature "what lighting
private houses with electricity had
to do with developing the resources
of the country, and he questioned |
the wisdom of borrowing money for
any such purpose, particularly when |
private parties were ready and wait
ing to get franchise to light the
town." That was q poser. The
Legislators and the spectators stood
aghast.
Mr.. Smith believes, no doubt, rs
every man acquainted with the first
principles of Constitutional Govern
ment believes, that the Government
should attend strictly to works of
public nature and works that tend
to develop the country, and leave
the baking, butchering and candle
furnishing to tradespeople, And
he could not see what giving man,
in exchange for coin, different
kind of light in his (the man's)
back kitchen, which is purely mat
ter that concerns the man and his
family, has TO do with the public
welfare or the development of the
resources If the country. Mr..
Smith, you are evidently short
sighted man, just as bad as some of
your neighbors, and even the be-
nighted and stomach deranged edi-
tor of the Bulletin
Perhaps Mr.. Smith, like the Bull
LETIN, might have been led to admit
that there was some excuse for the
Government going into the eight
ing" trade if private parties were
not prepared to do anything, but
knowing that private parties were
"ready and waiting" to furnish citi-
zens in their houses with all the
light they need, at as low figure
as the Government proposes to
charge, he could not admit it for
one moment. Mr.. Smith entrench-
ed himself in strong position,
which for time seemed impregna-
BILE. Perhaps he thought so. We
certainly thought so.
But no sooner had the honorable
gentleman resumeds his seat, than
up there arose giant from the
frozen regions of Canada, His Ex-
cellency the Attorney-General, and
came upon poor Mr.. Smith like the
waves of the sea; as the Assyrians
came down upon the cohorts of Pa
tagonia, even so he visited the sins
of the previous speaker with a
mighty host of twaddle, armed to
the teeth with ridiculous nonsense,
and swept w. o. from off his seat,
and with him was demolished his
position, and both were carried in
the crash heels over head on to the
floor, and so remained in orticuliS
anogtis from the opening of the
House even unto the closing thereof.
The reporter aforesaid says that
she (the Attorney-General) spoke
of several cities where the Govern
ment controlled the gas works; and
in some countries bakeries, brewer
les, ETC., are controlled by the Gev-
ernment' This was proposition
(hghting private houses with cleo
tricity) "to give to the Government
an income of about 23 per cent. on
the outlay, and thus reduce the cost
of supply to the consumers"
If we had happened along just a,
that time we could have materially
assisted the Attorney General by
reciting some personal experience
among the Zulus and Ashantees il
South Africa, and of having seel
the heads of Government amonI
those highly civilized tribes trading
in dead mems teeth. A splendi'
precedent for the enlightened Ha
waiian Government 1t is not to-
late now to offer few suggestion
that may prove of incalculabl
value,