The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-04-16
F ROM The
CAPITAL

+. wAsuuNuroN AprH LIT looks 90.
~ BinEer Hermann. Commissioner ~
the General Land once. who hy The
way liz a good friend to Hawaii aud hrf
interests and who suggested the az
pointing uf "a commission t. b. sent Goo
Hawaii this summer ,u look into th"
lend matters theme. Is likely tu los
His place Color Is given TO this rH.
port from the fact that number ui
prominent RCpub leans, including els
Senator Garter Of Montana, have r'-
Gently written President Mckinley ur.
ing the retention of B,nEer Hermann
as Commissioner OF the General Land
OHicp From what can b. learned th'gr
seems TO be cons derube trIctu1 To-
tween Secretary Hitch ok of he ir-
terror Department ana Commissioner
Hermann. This fric ion, 1t is said.
dates back several months.
Commissioner Hermann's tenure ot
office will expire shortly, and 1t is the
knowledge that he is not on the bess
OF terms with the Secretary OF tn In
terror that has caused the Commission.
-ers friends to come to the front and
try to save him. The man most gen
orally mentioned as the rrobah'N sc.
cessor to Commissioner Hermann Is
William II. Merriam, Director of the
Census. 1t is pointed out that Director
Merriam is thoroughly acquainted with
the land laws, and is in every way
qualified to fill the office and that his
appointment would be satisfactory to
the Western interests.
/ A friend OF Director Merriam's is
Of
Commissioner Of the General Land Of
flee would be congenial, although the
salary is not as large as that OF the
Director OF Census. But there Is this
difference to compensate-the importu
mites for appointment are less 1t also
is pointed out that there is to be large
reduction in the force of clerks en-
ployed in the Census in the near future,
and N order to escape the wrath to
come Director Merriam would not hest
tate to accept the Commissionership of
the General Land Office, If 1t is rendered
Ia him. Whether Director Merriam is
To be Commissioner Hermann's success
sor or not il seems to be generally ac-
cepted that a change in the Land Office
soon viii be made.
BARRED TO FOREIGN BOTTOMS.
The people Of Hawaii and those of
New Zealand will not see their desire
of having New Zealand secure from this
Government the privilege of trading
between san Francisco and Honolulu
through the New Zealand subsidized
steamship lines consummated. At the
state Department It was stated that
this was brought about, not through
any disposition on the part of this Gov
IL, y,F
New Zealand the privilege, but solely
through Cho force of existing law. 1t
has been neid that in the eye of the
law, trade between the Hawaiian ISL
ands and the United States is coasting
trade, and this may not be enjoyed by
any foreign vessel. The State Depart
ment, therefore is powerless to even
enter upon negotiations on this sub
iect realizing that it could not grant
the privilege II is, of course possible
to grant this privilege in a distinct
treaty stipulation, but the Department
is convinced that such n treaty would
not be ratified
STATUS OF HAWAII.
In an order recently issued Postmas-
ter General Smith gives the status OF
Hawaii the Philippines, Guam. etc.
This order contains the following note:
Note !. In this order Hawaii and
Porto Rico are included in the term
United States and Guam, Tutuila, and
the Philippine archipelago are included
in the term ISLAND possessions
The order goes into details regarding
the fixing of domestic postage rates and
claSsifications between the Uni,ed
States and its island possessions and
Cuba and the military service and naval
service in China; for the forwarding OF
all mail matter to persons in the United
States service and making these rates
and conditions apply, as far as practi-
cable, to gifts or souvenirs In unsealed
packages and parcels of mail for or
from persons in the United States ser
vice and extending our penalty and
ranked mail matter privileges and
conditions 10 nails for from or be-
tween Cuba Guam, the Philippine
archipelago, and Tutuila.
The order applies our domestic rates
and conditions 10 all United States mail
to Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, or Tu-
tuila, including all adjacent islands OF
the Samoan group which are posses
sions of the United States and from
those Islands 10 the United States
]. HARRY DAVIS.