The evening times., 1898-11-24
LAWS FRAMED FOR
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
~ = ga =
What the Commission Will
Recommend to Congress. )
FAVOR A TERRITORIAL FORM
System of Importing Laborers Under
Contract to Be Discontinued. /;
The Franchise VIII Not BE Extend
ed TO the Japanese or Chi
nese Residents.

The commission appointed by the Pres
ident to recommend form of govern
ment for the Hawaiian Islands as a part
of the United States met in Senator Cul+.
lom's committee-room at the Capitol las 8
night for the first time since leaving
Honolulu. Senators Cullom and Morg IN.
and Representative Hit and Judge Frear
were present.
The meeting was devoted to discussing
details of the bill and report which the
commission will present to Congress, and
which had rot been fully decided upon
at the last meeting. The legislation
which will be recommended by the com
mission will be included In bin which
to all intents and purposes will be an en-
abling act and much like the bills pro-
viding for the admission of new States
into the Union except IN the one impor-
tant detail that it provides for the ad-
mission of a Territory and not State
The bill has been completed, but proba-
bly, will be amended somewhat In Its Ge-
tails. The report has not been complet-
ed. but the commission has decided upon
its important 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
whole, it would not be wise 10 continue
it even temporarily in Hawaii II is un-
derstood that majority at least of the
members of the commission do not accept
ha
peans cannot do manual labor in the ISL
ands.
The commission will recommend a reg
ular territorial form Of government with
a governor, a delegate in Congress and
a legislature. The legislature will be
elected by the qualified voters of the ISL
and. but property and educational quail
iications will be imposed on those who
vote for members of the upper house.
The franchise will not be extended TO the
japanese or Chinese in the is ands but
the Portuguese who become citizens will
not be excluded.
The commission will present full details
of the value of property acquired the in
come from tariff taxes and other import
ant facts bearing on the government OF
the islands. Ii is estimated that the
property secured 10 the United States
will amount to more than $4,000 000. The
public lands alone are believed TO be
worth about s., eco coo.
The report win be in the hands of the
President before the meeting of Congress
on the first Monday in December. The
bill will be introduced in the House by
one of the Administration leaders, and
probab bly, will be referred to the Commit
tee on Territories. 1t is expected that no
time will be lost in the consideration of
- iy, ba- b,.
when it is reported to the House it will
be followed by resolution from the
Committee on Rules. fixing a reasonable
time limit on debate and providing for
vote.
Justice Frear one of the commissioners.
and a member of the Supreme Court of
Hawaii. said in answer to a question as
10 the solution of the coohe labor prob-
lem:
Under the present law coolie labor can
be imported. Our people, if left 10 their
own choice. would prefer to continue this
system; but we will not hesitate to give
stability of government will be so largely
increased under annexation that We could
afford TO amend our labor laws and sac
rifice cheap labor.
AS matter of fact. our planters are
now starting in 10 make a serious at
tempt to introduce white laborers Some
have already been brought in from Cali
fOrnia, and il Is believed the experiment
will succeed. The notion seems 10 pre-
vail in some quarters that white men can
not work in the tropics. 1t must be re-
membered, however. that there are diff
ferences in tropical countries Hawaii
really is on the edge of the tropics.
Furthermore, the islands are tempered
by cool ocean current, which reduces
the temperature 10 degrees below that of
other countries in the same latitude. A
great proportion of the best coffee lands
are located in a very temperate zone