Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-24
HAWAIIAN RULE.
Commissions Report Nearly
Ready for Congress.
Provides for a Territorial Form, With a
Governor and Legislature.
will Have Delegate in Congress Mo Franchise
Tor laps Or Chinese.

Washington, Nov. 23.-The commits
sion appointed by the President to re-
commend form Of government for the
Hawaiian islands as part of the Uni
ted States met in Senator Cullom' 5
committee room at the Capitol, tonight,
Tor the first time since leaving HonoIu-
III. Senators Cullom and Morgan, Rep
resentative Hit and Judge Grear were
present. The meeting was devoted to
discussing details of the bill and re-
port which the commission will present
to Congress which had not been fully
decided upon at the last meeting.
The legislation which will be recon-
| mended by the commission will be in
Guided in bill which to all intents and
purposes will be an enabling act and
very much like the bills providing for
the admission of new states into the
Union, except in the one important de-
tail that it provides for the admission
OF territory and not a state The bill
has been completed but probably will
be amended somewhat in detail. The
report has not been completed, but the
commission has decided upon it's i'm
portant features.
one OF these is a recommendation
that the system of importing laborers
under contract shall be discontinued.
The commissioners have concluded that
as the system is contrary to the laws
applying to this country as a whole it
would not be wise to continue it even
temporarily in Hawaii. 1t is under
stood that majority at least of the
members do not accept the theory tina,
Americans and Europeans cannot do
manual labor in the islands.
The commission will recommend a
regular territorial form of government
with governor, a delegate in Congress
and Legislature. The Legislature
will be elected by the qualified voters
of the island but there will be property
and educational qualifications imposed
on those who vote for members of
the upper house of the Legislature.
The franchise will not be extended to
the Japanese or Chinese in the island.
but the Portuguese who become citizens
will not be excluded under the restric-
tions imposed.
The commission will present full de-
tails of the value of property acquired,
the income from tariff taxes and other
important facts bearing upon the gov
eminent of the islands. They estimate
that the property secured to the United
states will amount to more than &c.,
O00,00O The public lands alone are be-
lieved to be worth about S., 900, 900.
The commissions report will be in
the hands of the President before the
meeting of Congress, the first Monday
in December. The President will sub
NIT the report to Congress, which will
include the draft of bill to carry into
erect the recommendations of the COM
missioners. Early action is assured.
Mr.. Justice Frear, one of the Hawai-
ian commissioners and also a member
OF the supreme court of Hawaii, said,
today, in answer to a question as to
the solution of the coolie labor problem
IN Hawaii: Under the present law
coolle labor can be imported. Our peo-
pie, II left to their own choice, would
prefer to continue this system; but we
VIII not hesitate to give it UP if re-
quired. We realize that the stability
OF government will be at once largely
icnreased under annexation that we
could afford to amend our labor laws
and sacrifice cheap labor.
:'As matter of fact our planters are
now starting in to make serious at
tempt to introduce white laborers.
Some have already been brought in from
California and it is believed the expert
ment will succeed. THE notion seems |
to prevail in some quarters that white |
men cannot work in the tropics. 1t |
must be remembered, however, that |
there are differences in tropical coun-
tries. Hawaii is really on the edge of |
the tropics Furthermore the islands |
are tempered by a cool ocean current |
which reduces the temperature 10 de-
grees below that of other countries in I
the same latitude. A great proportion
of the best coffee lands are located in
a very temperate zone"
The Anglo-American commission has
determined to reach some of the inter-
national settlement on the Behring sea
before going on with any I
other subject and this was the sole
considered at the session, to-
day. and, after a Thanksgiving recess,
it will be the special order for Friday.
Today was devoted to further rigid
cross-examination of the American
and Canadian exports as to the basis
for their appraisals of the value of the
Canadian sealing fleet.
The line of examination has shown
that one of the vital differences be-
tween the two sides is as to what
vessels are rightfully included within
the sealing fleet. The Canadians con-
tend these vessels included not only
the 80 which engaged in sealing, last
year, but also large number which
are in that business but did not ac-
tualiy engage in it because of restr1c-
tons placed upon the industry by the
American government.
On the other hand the American con-
tention is that only such ships as ac-
tually engaged in the sealing business
are to be considered, and that any
other construction practically opens 10
The shipping of the whole Pacific the
right to claim that it might have en-
gagged in sealing. This difference is
one of the causes of variation between
the American appraisal of the value OF
the fleet and the Canadian appraisal.
In general way it-was statei1A0
The morning session. ~