The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-07-30
A LIBERAL MOOD.

n LiuLUnL muuus
The solons of the country were in
good humor Thursday, and lavish
and eXtravagant appropriations were
made. The first item outside of the
bill prepared by the Ministry was
proposed by Rep. Kinney, $4,000
for survey of a water ditch, etc.,
for the district of Hamakua. This
item after long debate passed, but
it was the signal for everyone who
had pet scheme or wished to con-
ciliate their constituents, to propose
insertion for various amounts from
$500 to $4,000, and for all sorts of
objects, from building a $3.50
bridge to establishing extensive
water works. This generous freak
for appropriating the peoples mo-
ney will cost the country about
$4,000 more than the Ministry
reckoned on when the bill was pre-
pared, provided all these items pass
third reading.
When that time comes the AS
sembly may not feel in as liberal q
mood, and then cutting and slash
ing of many of these items will take
place. A retrenchment has got to
be made somewhere, or the country
will be saddled with an appropria-
ton bill that will be out of all pro-
portion to the revenue.
The action of the members yes
terday was like that of two persons
sleeping together. One says to the
other, you scratch my back, and L
will scratch yours; or, in other
words, if you support my motion
for the insertion of $4,000 for
bridges in my district, l will sup
port your motion for $4,000 for
water works in yours. Now this
may be nice for the law makers, but
how about the people whom they re-
present? Is Improbable that they wish
to have their money spent in this
lavish manner, and that, too, which
has to be borrowed at no less than 6
per cent interest with other charges?
There are many necessary things
which have to be done, and some
others that may at first glance be
considered Injuries, which care
full investigation proves to be advan-
tlgeous to the country at large,
while directly, only. benefitting
few. These the Ministry have care
fully considered, and have placed
such amounts in the Appropriation
Bill as they think will be needed
for such work, being governed by
the estimated receipts of 1.-THE Gov
eminent from all sources. But if
these eXtravagances are continued,
1t is evident that some department
of the Government must suffer, as
it will be utterly impossible for the
Government to raise the money with
which to carry on such projects,
and pay its running expenses, to-
gether with the cost of proposed
measures that cannot be put off or
Sighted.
Some of the items passed were
for quite as frivolous purposes as
the one proposed by the honorable
Noble Hitchcock from Hilo, and
that was that the sum of $3.50 be
inserted in the bill to build snow
sheds over the road at Kiholo, Kona,
where the road goes through a cut
in the mountain, and where the
thermometer was never below 65
degrees enleit, and no snow
nearer than five miles from the
place, on top of the mountain. This
item was only proposed by the
honorable gentleman, with the view
of bringing before the House the
Righteousness of certain measures
proposed and carried; but ridicule
and sarcasm fell fiat on that august
body, and the appropriations went
on.
The hour for adjournment brought
this by play to close, and it is to
be hoped that the same feeling
will not pervade the members when
the bill, in its regular course, comes
up again for consideration. Y.