The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-05
SITS ON COURT Of CLAIMS.
COUNCIL OF STATE SLABS AT
THAT BODY.
Wants Three Business Men on the
Salaries-Postponed to Friday.

A special committee of the Council of
State having in hand the matter of the
Court of Claims reported yesterday af-
ternoon. Among other things the ex-
penses of the court are reduced from
$780, 900 to $10,750, and the committee
raped right and left at the personnel
of the court. At the request of Minis
ter Damon the matter went over to
Friday afternoon to give the Cabinet
time to review it. Following are some
of the remarks of the committee re-
garding the court:
Your committee therefore state that
as the minutes of the meeting of the
Council of State of January %, 1900,
show that at that meeting, President
Dole announced to the Council that it
was his intention to have most of the
members of the Court of Claims to be
business men, they failed to see the
logic of the appointment of five lawyers.
Furthermore, your committee think
that a Court of Claims, consisting of
not less than three business men would
not only be more satisfactory to the
taxpayers of these Islands, but would
also be able to handle all matters
brought before it more eXpeditiOusly, as
such a court, consisting mostly of bust
ness men, would have more the char
acter of a Court of Equity, and the in
innate knowledge of the members of
the court, of locations, values and 9TH
er circumstances, would render I'M
necessary much of the lengthy exam
nations of witnesses required for every
case in a court of law. BY the exec
utive order of President Dole, dated
April ., 1900 the court has the title of
Court of Claims for losses caused by
the Board of Health in the suppression
of Bubonic Plague, which your com
mittee presumes to mean, Court of
Claims for losses caused throughout the
group, whilst the preamble of the order
and the text of the order seem to con-
fine the court to take evidence and to
make awards and judgments only on
losses caused by the burning of Chi
natown. President Dole has explained
this and has stated that upon further
instructions from President Mckinley
this apparent inconsistency will prob
ably be removed.
Your committee will not express any
opinion on the text of the order gov
erning the proceedings of the Court of
Claims, unless so instructed by this
council.
Your committee understand that the
committee already appointed is to act
for six months, and they have allowed
one hundred and fifty days of that time
to be consumed by the court in hearing
claims that will be presented to them
for consideration.
During that time it is hardly probable
that the entire day will be consumed
by the members of the court, in consid-
ering claims, so that much of the time
will be at the disposal of the members
for thir private business.
Your committee cannot attach to this
Court of Claims, as at present advised,
the Importance that some do, for in
case they allow any or all of the claims
a 1et ha TO
the Council of State, or to the next
Legislature for final action, and the
committees to whom these claims will
be referred for investigation will eX-
anime each one carefully before recon-
it's payment.
Your committee finds that the total
expense of the Legislature for 1898 was
S2S, 562 IA, while the Council of State is
asked to appropriate $4,000 for this
Court of Claims or about 70 per cent
Of the cost of the Legislature, in which
thirty men were employed and rendered
valuable service to the Government, be-
sides which large expenses were in
Cured for reports, printing and other
important matters.
Your committee would also call atten-
ton to the fact that many of our citi-
zens have given their services gratis
in helping to put down the bubonic
plague which has been among us during
the last four months. Among others
who have given their services are the
members of the Board of Health and
the Finance Committee appointed to as
sist the Board of Health, all of whom
are men who are loaded down with
but have devoted sew
eral hours every day for months in the
discharge of their duties without re-
one cent for their valuable SER
vices; nor do we deem it to be out of
place to allude to the labors of this
Council of State, a body of busy men,
who are now called upon to make large
appropriations and are devoting many
hours every day to their duties with
out any thought of compensation and
your committee is of the opinion that
there are patriotic and representative
men who can command the confidence
of the country at large who would be
willing, if necessary, to serve without
pay on this Court of Claims.