Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-11-18
THE EVENING BULLETIN, L, 49,
FACTS ABOUT THE SURPLUS.

of the surplus in order to show his
contempt for the Government is a
view of the situation that is entirely
new.
Up to the present time at least,
the public has been unanimouS-aS
nearly unanimous as the public can
be--iS asserting that tibet condition OF
the financial market, as well as the
necessity for progress in public
works, demanded a more liberal po-
Icy in putting into circulation the
large amount of coin lying idle in the
government treasury Members Of
the Cabinet were not and are not,
unless there has been a sudden
change of front, unanimously oppos-
ed to placing these funds in circula-
ton. Minister Cooper has gone so
far as to state that there is legal
authority for placing a portion of
the surplus at the disposal of the
banks. 1t was only a short time
ago that Minister Damon and pre-
sumably Minister King were the
only members of the Executive op-
posed to inaugurating a more
liberal financial policy. The sur
plus was the indirect result of Mr..
Damon's remark to Mr.. Dole,
"Who keeps Mr.. Rowell in office
Mr.. Dole, but yourself"
The majority of the bankers and
the public are not disposed to accept
the proposition to deposit the sur
plus with the banks. The people
however do favor and demand that
every dollar of the appropriations
authorized by the Legislature for
public WORDS shall be expended.
This demand is not drastic, nor does
it infer criticism of the Government,
except as the officials assume a
lackadazical attitude in securing its
fulfIlment.
The marked industrial progress
of the country since annexation has
not only increased the call for
activity in forwarding public works.
1t has taxed every administrative
department of the government to
the utmost. What was desirable
yesterday is today an absolute ne
cesSity. The educational depart
ment not only finds itself short of
funds, but retrenching when the sit
uaiion calls for expansion. School
rooms in Honolulu are crowded to
the limit. Temporary desks crowd
he rooms, and children have been
urned away for want of accommo.
Iations. The number of teachers
md accommodation for pupils can
lot be increased because of lack of
funds, and yet the public treasury
contains a two million dollar sur.
plus. The Attorney Generals de-
partment is qnite as seriously he'd
ged in by the same lack of funds.
With the condition in the education
al department such that it has be-
come an object lesson in every
home where there are school child
rem, the people have yet to become
convinced that the Council of State
has not authority to make app o.
;priations to relieve the departments
of embarrassment and assist them
to keep in line with the new pro.
gressive step.
II the constitution OF the Republic
gives the Council of State authority
to appropriate money for a trip to
Washington of the President, the
constitution should not at this time
be interpreted with less liberality
when matter of quite as much i'm.
portance as an official trip receives
consideration.
| Whatever opposition there may
be to the Executive calling upon the
Council of State to render assis-
lance in the present financial straits,
that opposition does not come from
the people,