The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-02-22
An Able Speech by Minister
Damon.
BUT LITTLE WORK IN HOUSE
Minister King will Present Bill.
The Committee Work - Prepar-
ing for the Next Weeks La
bors-No Session be Held Today.
FRIDAY, Feb. 81.

FRIDAY, EeO. Il.
The Senate opened at the usual
hour, With Senators Baldwin and
Kauhane absent.
After the reading of the minutes the
Secretary read communication from
the House stating that A. O.. M.
Robertson had been appointed on the
joint committee to wait upon the
President The standing committees
of the House W re also announced.
Senator Brown reported from the
Committee on Rules, giving notice OF
rccom Z ndation of changes effecting
the ensrossing and printing of bills.
Senator Brown reported from the
Special Joint Committee that the
President had been notified of tbs
assem- bling of the Legislature.
A resolution placing the hour of
meeting at 10 u. m was passed.
Under suspension of the rules Min
lister Damon presented two appropria
ton biIIs-one for salaries and pay
rolls, the other for current accounts.
In introducing the bills Minister
Damon spoke as follows:
"In presenting these bills I would
say that the public has taken so large
| an interest in the financial outlook of
| the country for the past two years, /
| think new status may possibly be
| made in which the Minister of FL
uance should come before the fund
| disposing portion of the Legislature
and make a statement of what his
prospects are for the coming two
years, somewhat more general, per-
haps, than could be made in the report
which has been made to the President
"The first bill which have present
ed to you today is bill covering sala-
ries and pay-rolls, which has
been prepared and translated in
proper form. There is a bill that has
already passed the Executive cover
ing current expenditure, which is in
the hands of the translator. L was
disappointed that it was not ready to
present to you tOday.
''FOllOwing these two bills there is a
bill providing further loans for
the coming two years. You are
all well aware that our sur
plus which we had at the be-
ginning of the last year was very
heavily drawn upon by reason of the
insurrection and the cholera epidemic,
thus making our expenses last year
very large We have expended some
thing like two millions of dollars, and
it has been u very heavy drain upon
the country and its resources.
Avoid Delay in Paying Bills.
"This oil that [ present for your
consideration this morning in cOnnec
ton with the appropriation bills is to
allow the Minister of Fiuance to
make arrangements with or deal with
the banks or the capitalists during
the month, or at the end of the
month, or atsuch times as the treas
ury and its resources, for various rea
sons, shall have been somewhat re-
duced, so that he may take the drafts or
the orders of the Ministers of the diff
ferent departments and place them
with a bank or banks, and receive
advances on them until such time AS
the treasury is i'll a position to take
them up. 1t may be a month, may be
only a week or perhaps only day or
two, the bank or banks being allowed
the usual interest at 6 per cent. This
gives the Executive and the Minister
of Finance a broader opportunity to
meet the demands upon the treasury
without ally unnecessary delay. L
hope that the treasury aG soDe day
not far distant will have such
reserve on hand that it will not be
necessary to call for this means of
securing loans, buc this is a privilege
which every civilized nation has
taken advantage of, and the interest /
that our own citizens are taking in
our welfare think will be means Of