The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-02-14
THE LEGISLATURES.

The legislative session which Will
be commenced this week will be an
important one. The complicated wants
OF a civilized state entail endless
change in legislative enactment Ihls
country has within the last two years
made great strides forward, and to
meet these strides or to keep up with
them, needs revision and change and
addition to the statute book.
Probably when the millennium is
reached ii will be possible to estab-
lish a state where the entire machln-
cry would be perfect, but it would
mean a state in which there could be
absolutely no change, and no advance.
For the slightest advance would mean
a change in the machinery somewhere.
However such Utopian IDEAS belong 20
Mr.. Bellamy and his school, and It
will be long, if ever, before the world
reaches that dead level.
Should annexation come there will
be much to do to ADJUST matters to the
new conditions. but even without that
great change there is much to do, and
much that is of great Importance.
Prison reform is a crying need, and
is one of the most important planks
in the American Union party's plat
form. On what lines this should be
conducted was shown in recent issue
of The Star.
The income tax, though bitterly and
openly opposed by some, and secretly
disliked by others, will be fully dis
cussed once more, and an effort Will
be made to pass a bill which will be
held constitutional by the Supreme
Court. The men who support the
measure have had full experience now
and the measure should be, as the say
ing is, water tight" There can be
no doubt that the bill will pass the
lower house; it is in the senate that
it will receive opposition.
The labor question will have to be
considered and "a bill brought in some
what on the lines suggested in these
columns early in January. The con
tract labor system is vicious; it is one
of those things that grows up with d
state and the people get to thinking
it cannot be done without. 1t is bad
for the laborers and it is bad for the
employer. 1t can be got rid of, and
the matter must be fairly faced.
The liquor question will come VI
for consideration, and so will opium
smuggling. Both these questions
will entail, unfortunately, much acri'
mony and bitterness. \ majority OF
people on both sides will not regard
them judicially but unavoidably bring
strong prejudice to bear. 1t is to bt
hoped that there are enough of those
in both houses who are unprecedented
and can view these questions calmly.
The matter of public improvements
ought largely to emanate from the
government. The members for each
district will bring forward their full
quota, but the government should be
well informed through its officials OF
what is necessary. 1t is a case oil
cutting your coat according to the
cloth.
Refunding the loan will take con-
siderable discussion. In the present
prosperous condition of affairs, there
would seem every possibility of car
rying out such a financial operation
successfully, and no doubt the Minis
ter of Finance in his budget speech
will be able to give to both houses am.
pie information upon this point.
The whole question of licenses viii
have to be gone into. There was hasty
and unsatisfactory legislation in this
direction last Legislature and there
will have to be amendment.
The Attorney General in his report
suggests several amendments to tho
statutes, and the law of land trans
fers needs amendment.
These are a few of the most import
ant measures. There are dozens up
on dozens of lesser Importance, all o
which, however, will be brought il
with the idea of making the machin
cry of the state run more smoothly.
If to this short list is added the com
mittee work, the examination of tn,
government departments, the man'
petitions and last but not least, tn,
appropriation bill, there is ample
work before the Legislature for tn,
coming ninety days, and when tn
work is done it may have very i'm
portant results.
THAT HOAX,