The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-12-13

"AsHINGToN' D. G., Dec l.
!" Despite the fact that away
from the center of the strife
one feels out of it, Hawaii will
be in the center of many battle legis-
lative during the short term of the
Fifty-sixth Congress, which will open
Monday and until the 4th of March
next engage the best efforts of nearly
900 citizens. OF course there are not
so many members of both branches of
Congress but to see the efforts being
made in the various departments to
prepare the work, the figures which
must stand as the basis for Congress
sional action and the recommendations
of the chiefs of the bureau of the Gov
|ernment, brings realization that the
time of the term means that there is a
constant draft upon the resources of
levery department to meet the demands
of the legislative branch.
Friends of Hawaii who have stood by
the new Territory in the fights of the
| past are still active in their interest
and promise to again show their feeling
J of sympathy when the time of leglsla-
ltion comes. Even with Wilcox on the
floor there will be no lack Of the old
time friends who will stand ready to
introduce and push to passage any leg
| islation which is needed for the Is
lands Few bills for the general gov
lernment of the Islands are certain of
introduction now, although there are
many in contemplation. In a general
way these may be said to bear upon
the land question and to have for their
Iobject the making more nearly like
trat of the other Territories the basis
iof the holding of the public domain.
One of the measures which will be
introduced in all probability but which
will be put over in the stress of the
business of a short term will be that OF
Congressman Kahn of California for
the taking over by the general Gov
ernment of the leper settlement and the
assembling there of all those suffering
from the same affliction from all parts
of the United States. There has been
| no general discussion of such meas
ure but it was outlined on the stump
by Kahn and he says he thinks that
) such a change will be for the best both
on the part of the Islands and the gen.
eral Government The placing of the
: settlement under the specific control OF
{ the Marine Hospital service would in
: sure the most scientific care of the un-
/ fortunates and there would be no dan
: ger of the relaxation of any of the seq
!. regation laws.
= First in Importance, however, of al
the things which will come up for the
consideration of the Congress at thi:
/. time will be the appropriations as out
lined in the report of the Secretary O.
the Territory to the President. Thes'
estimates reached the Treasury De
!, partment too late to be incorporated il
J the regular book of such estimates bu
have been made the subject of a spe
cial communication to Congress by tn
Secretary Of the Treasury. In no wis
have they been changed or amende'
# and I was assured today by one of tn
a chiefs Of that department that ther
ia would be strong measures taken in tn
% effort to have the monies asked 70
n given at this time. OF the subjects con
% sidered as of paramount importanc
= now the purchase Of a site for
= Federal building for Honolulu, the erec
20 ton of postofffce and custom house a
a. Hilo and the enlargement of, the har
n Dor facilities at the Capital are in ad
a vance but the extension of the light
!, house system to the group and tn
early pushing of the Pearl Haroo
= = opening work will come close to tn
: front.
Captain Shoemaker, chief of tn
revenue cutter service, is of the opinio
p that only by direct legislation ma
there be sent to the Islands cutter TO
oi the use Of the collector of customs i
70 patrolling the coast for possible SNUG
Ln glers. The service is now on the regu
Ill lar basis which was establihed for tn
safeguarding of the continental Sc
coast. Recently there have been man
w demands made upon this branch fc
ed : the detailing Of vessels for the use {
L. the War Department. which is collect
n ing the customs revenues in Porto Ric'
Cuba and the Philippines. But in eac
case the cutters which were aske
D.