The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-18

weaver has been spoken of for United
states District Attorney. While the
residents choice is not yet known, it
Is Deileved he VIII appoint a res. dent OF
the Islands.
by singular overnight the Hawaii
al Oil as enacted into law established
United states customs district for
ehe territory OF Hawaii, with ports of
nCIy ana delivery at Homo ulu, Hilo,
Mahukona aid Kahului, but made alb
so'uteIy no provision for the appoint
niSnt OF customs collector and a corps
OF assistants such as exist of necessity
III every customs district in the United
otates. his palpable error was not
discovered until two days after the bill
was approved by the President, and
only then by Assistant Secretary of the
treasury Spauiding, who at once call
60 the attention of Senator Morgan to
the immediate need Of supplementary
Ieels'atlon. remedial measure has
already been introduced by the Senator
rom Alabama. 1t is very brief and
merely provides for the appointment of
coilector OF customs and such depu-
Ties and assistants as the Secretary of
the Treasury shall deem necessary.
ne collector is to make Honolulu his
headquarters
One or two other matters that are not
altogether satisfactorily disposed of in
the general bill, have been engaging
the attention of the Secretary of the
treasury and the Postmaster-Genera
ana were discussed at some length at
the last cabinet meeting. Secretary
uage, after careful study, Is in doubt
whether under the bill he is empower
ed 20 take up the outstanding Hawaii
an bonds. amounting to about $4,000
OoO. The treaty of annexation proyid-
ed for the assumption or the Hawaiian
bonded debt by the United States. but
the recent law contained no such pro-
vision. The Cabinet agreed that the
best way out of the difficulty would be
Tor Congress to pass a special bill pro-
vlding Tor the payment of the bonds by
he Secretary of the Treasury, as the
Hawaiian debt bears too large a rate OF
interest TO be continued by the United
states Treasury, especially when the
vaults are running over with money
Inc question that disturbed Postmaster
General Smith was as to his right to
extend the linked States postal laws
20 the islands under the terms Of the
act. In the case of Porto Rico it has
been held that he had authority to es-
under the paragraph providing that all
avs nos inapplicabe should apply to
that island, but Postmaster-Genera
smith and his associates in the Cabinet
can TO the belief that further legisla-
ZION Will be necessary in the case of the
Hawaiian Islands. If this opinion pre-
walls, the President may send a special
message to Congress, calling attention
10 the needs of the situation.
The recoinage of the silver money
OF the islands will soon follow, and
the substitution of u. s. silver dollars
and subsidiary coins may be looked for
within few months. With the disap-
pearance of the distinctive stamp and
coin Of Hawaii will follow an eager
demand for specimens of both by the
philatelist and numismatist, who can
afforu to hold them until time adds
value to their collections.
The Secretary Of the Navy is entirely
convinced of the wisdom of fastening
the work of improving Pearl Harbor
with the object of establishing a naval
station, and has recommended that the
sum of 100000 appropriated for that
purpose in the river and harbor act of
March 8, 1899, be transferred from the
jurisdiction of the War Department to
hat of the Navy Department, by which
ne thinks the work can be better done.
1t will be remembered that Rear-Ad-
niral Walker, u. S. N, reported favor
ably on this project as long ago as
July IL, 1894, to the Fifty-third Con-
gress. Since then the surveys have all
been made by the Navy, but the site
for the naval station has not been &C
quired.
Senator Hale Of Maine, chairman of
The Committee on Naval Affairs, has
taken up the matter and has intro
duced a bill covering the whole sub
Ject. 1t authorizes the Secretary of the
Navy to acquire Immediately by pur-
chase or condemnation proceedings,
Tor the purpose or estab. ishing a naval
station in Pearl HarbOr, the following
tracts of land, aggregating 1880 acres:
The island known as Mokuumeume or
Ford Island, comprising about $40
acres; the peninsula tract OF Waipio
If about $50 acres; tract comprising
about 3S5 acres lying to the eastward
and fronting upon the entrance OF the
harbor; and tract of about 3O5 acres
lying to the westward of and fronting
upon the harbor entrance. For these
purposes $4,000 are to be appropriat-
ed. For the purpose of dredging ana
improving the channel leading to Pearl
Harbor, in order to provide safe en-
trance for vessels up to 5000 tons dis
placement, $500, 600 is to be appropriat-
ed to be expended under supervision OF
the Navy Department, in addition to
;l00, 900 previously appropriated for
expenditure by the War Department.
None of these appropriations for dradg-
ing are to be avail able until title to the
lands required for the naval station
shall have been acquired.
l.. K. T.. PAULIG