The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-12

How Information is to Be
Had From Washington.
Gathering Facts Distinct Business
Sample Work-Of Use to ISL
and People.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 29.-The
interest which the Hawaiian part of
the United States now has in affairs at
the Capital City Of Washington makes
the Congressional Information Bureau
an institution of peculiar Importance
to Hawaiian people. This is a COM
paratively new but a we'll organized
and maintained bureau which makes a
speciality Of supplying to order any line
of information desired from Washing
ton.
The history of the bureau is interest
ing as showing the development of an
idea into widespread usefulness. 1t
was organized about a year and half
ago as a sort of general secretary-ship
10 Congress. It's promoters knew that
congressman often wanted a great deal
of data-historical, statistical, legal
and documentary-whi in the rush
of their many duties, they have not
time themselves to prepare. The Blu
reau proposed in systematic, bust
ness-like way to do this routine work
for them. Accordingly it was organ
lied by men who knew what they
wanted and knew how to do it.
Some examples of their work will
best illustrate its character and i'm
portance. A Senator who wished to
introduce an important resolution call
ling for the authority under which the
Secretary of the Treasury used revenue
cutters to stop filibustering eXpedi-
tions, got the Bureau to examine the
i. ,fraI
ity laws in order to see how far he
could go in his resolution. Another
Senator who wished succinct history
of the recognition of new republics by
established governments to use in the
Cuban-Spanish discussion got the Blu
reau to supply him with the data. An
other Congress man wished statement
showing the ownership of the worlds
surface at five different periOds-1776,
1920, 1910 and 1896. He didn't have
time for a job so tedious and so he
naturally got this Bureau to get up
the information for him. \ member
OF the House, an authority on appro-
priations, had the Bureau prepare for
! him tables showing the amounts OF
appropriations by administrations and
/ by sections from George Washington
/ to William Mckinley. The Bureau
! =
used in the discussion incident to the
admission of the Hawaiian Islands to
1.-The Union and to bear upon the gener-
al theory of territorial expansion.
Very soon people outside Of Con-
gress began to send in orders for the
investigation of various matters and
the Congressional Information Bureau
began at once to act as a general ref
erence Bureau for whoever wished TO
engage its services. AS an aid to this
line of work it bought out the Bureau
of General Information, which was es-
Itabiisahed in 1886 and was doing pref
ty good business in furnishing gov
ernmental and miscellaneous inf0rma-
tion to the general public. In this line
of work its influence and usefulness
are rapidly growing.
The president of the Bureau, Frank
L. Welles, is a we'll known statistician
and an excellent lawyer. The man
ager. Claude N Bennett, is an enter
priSing newspaper man who has had
large experience in Washington as a
correspondent and a Government Of
fetal. They were fortunate in asso-
ciating with them as counsel the wei
known iurist and law author, Judge J.
IC Welles, whose books on Res AdJud-
Iicata, Property Rights of Married Wo-
men, Questions OF Law and tact, ETC..
Iare we'll known to the legal profession
and have been cited as authorities by
1.-THE Supreme Court of the United
States. All of these gentlemen are well
posted on governmental matters and
are thoroughly converSant with the
sources of information at Washington
Their offices at 609 Fourteenth street
furnish scenes of busy activity. The
list of references which they give by
permission include some Of the lead
ing experts and best known officials
of the United States.
All of this gratuitous information
about a private concern is given fol
the reason that it may prove OF specia
interest to those in Honolulu who are
interested in affairs at Washington
and have no special connection by
which they can get such information
as they may desire. Of course this
Bureau charges for what it does, but il
makes its charges in all cases as rea-
sonable as the execution of the order
will warrant. The question of the new
possessions of the United States, es
pecfally of the Hawaiian Islands, vii
agitate more largely than any other
: the coming session of Congress. Ant
the Bureau will make a special point
OF keeping abreast Of all of its phases
OF development.