The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-07-14

technicality comes in. There is plenty
of money in the treasury, but 1t is mon
ey belonging to current account I'm
fortunately the Council of State in its
wisdom put the item of rebuilding Of
the Royal School under the loan fund.
Under that account there is no money
available, because of the enormous
claim upon this asset caused by the
sewerage contracts. Indeed, at the pre-
sent time the current account has actu-
ally lent to the loan fund some 100000.
That eventually everything will come
right that we shall have a fine school
house of which the Territory can be
proud, is certain. But we shall simply
have to wait, and meantime those who
have the responsibility of carrying on
have to do their best and make what
shift they can. Fortunately they will
be able to meet the difficulty and over
come it until the legislature meets.
Indeed, it will have to be met long after
the legislature comes to gether, because
it is long time before legislative votes
are available, and it further takes time
to erect a building worth $4,000.
But in this matter there is a distinct
lesson, and that is the necessity of all
legislative bodies to give careful atten-
ton to the details of their work. Hasty
and slipshod legislation ends in disaster
or failure to get results. The late Coun-
- N,,s. 20 40 &c
duty, but it was a body responsible to
no definite constituency, and its mem
bers did not give that attention to de-
tail which an elective body, the MEM
bers of which were going to return to
their constituents would give.
We are going to set out shortly upon
a new departure. The appropriations
for the Territory for two years will be
in the hands of the Legislature in a way
which they have never been before.
Under our previous system of govern
ment there was always a minister on
the floor of the House ready to explain,
ready to guide, in fact, the thought of
the House, and when expenditures were
under consideration it was not difficult
to quickly come to an understanding.
The minister was responsible.
But now this is changed. There will
/ be no minister present in the House.
| There will be no one who can explain
/ directly to the House. The burden of
/ providing funds for the future two
! years will be entirely with the legisla
/ ture 1t is true that the Governors
message will serve as a basis of sug-
gestion, and that his estimates must
/ in some sense be regarded as a budget,
/ but the heavy responsibility really falls
upon the members.
! And if this is the case, the RESPONSE
bility falls directly upon the people, for
/ it is the people who will choose the
members of the legislature. If good
and able men are chosen the results
{ will be good. If untried or eighty men
/ are chosen, the results will be the direct
opposite. In dealing with the coming
/ election, then, the people should fully
realize how deeply interested they are
/ personally in. the results, and should
also realize how great is their respon-
sibility as voters. 1t is money makes
the mare 60 says the proverb and it
is money that will make the Territory
go. But rich and prosperous as the
Territory may be, unless the legislature
wisely appropriates, the people will
have to go without many things they
most need.