The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-03-22
A CLOSING REVIEW.


WASHINGTON, d. c., March To-
Seldom has such success been achieved
as that which has marked the efforts
of those who are interested in Hawaii
an legislation at the short session or
the fifty sixth Congress, which has just
closed. The two bills which were pass
ed, and the provision in the Sundry
civil bill providing for the payment Of
the bonds of the Republic, are OF the
highest Importance to the Islands.
While these do not involve distinct ap-
preparations, which will go to the pub
lie works in the Islands, the latter
provision will take from the Treasury
$43,47 $3.50 II. The other legislation Is
entirely beneficial to the Islands, but
involves no increased expense.
Perhaps the most important of all
the measures which have been put
through is that which enables the Sec
rtary of the Treasury to name at will
certain supports of entry. The impor-
lance of this may be gathered from
the fact that one of the hardest jobs
the legislator has Is to secure the pas
sage of SUPPORT of entry bill. Con-
gress Is suspicious of anything which
looks like multiplication of public ser
wants in some particular locality. This
bill takes the hands Of Congress off
the Territory of Hawaii, as regards
supports. For instance. it is within
the province OF Secretary Gage to
name a port on each Island as a sub
port of entry, and in addition, 10 place
these SUPPORTS in immediate Conjunc-
ton, something which Congress would
never permit to be done by direct legis-
lation. Ostensibly, the bill was propos-
ed for the purpose of permitting Kauai
and perhaps the Kau regions to have
SUPPORTS as demanded by commerce.
In reality, the result may be that on
Maui there will be other dlscharging
ports than Lahaina.
The provision which permits the de-
post in the local depositary of receipts
from customs, was one which was
much demanded, and yet, which nearly
escaped attention. In his annual report
the Secretary of the Treasury called
attention to the operation of section
5l53 of the Revised Statutes. Under
this all moneys collected from customs
revenues must be deposited as origin
ally taken in with the nearest sub
treasury of the United States. This
was all right when the country con
sisted only of itself. But now the
country consists of itself and several
fragmental additions. With Hawaii,
Porto Rico and Alaska collecting mon
eys, which must be sent to the nearest
sub-treasury, the contingent expenses
resultant upon the operations of this
section are quite heavy. From Porto
Rico the customs moneys are sent to
AN'N iblN ny transport at very SllSnI
cost, but from Alaska and Hawaii ii is
a matter of nearly one-half of one per
cent. This matter was called to the
attention of the House committee on
ways and means when Congress as
Sembled in December. but that body
was too busy with the war revenue re-
luCtion bill to look after little matters
like this. Within the last week. how
ever, the House committee reported
nm amendment to section 5l53, which
leaves the regulation as to deposit
with sub treasures in force except as
TO the insular possessions, where the
deposit is authorized directly I'm the
rational deposltury This win prevent
he draining out Of Hawaii of AT least
4 million dollars during the year Of the
United states holding the custom
house.
The matter Of payment OF bonds was
ine 10 which the United States was
pledged by the annexation resolution,
but I'm this year OF inordinateiy large !
appropriations there was danger THAI ]
might prevent the incorpora-
Hon ~ the paragraph I'm the sundry
'ivil bill Chairman Cannon, Of IN,
appropriations committee, has been
Kept very well Informed as 90 the con-
iltlnn Of affairs IN the Islands, and
realizing that The spirit ~ good faith
demanded the immediate payment ~
hrsp bonds. put I'm tho clause witch .
we allowed l1 ROMAN the only change F..
being th1t thu Senate added nrarly
IN mo fHr che payment N interest
THIS much the Islands plt bur Inr
rory m things Hnurht which rnuii not .
Pa F1lNnl iH a much longer ono. thnurh
perhaps uni rn interesting EaailY
thuirF lN" poo ~ thrso M thr OH ~
hn redemption m thr alYar rDlnaur
ma currency THIS was ~ Ylll un
inriHn0n Hn1 Wac HiYn0Rtri IN lHtstH .
lnW aIl ihH hNnhH ann prnpitHi bufi
'rfH Insrt NJ fr'rnit W taHHfu
hr blil falNi 7 nrllrNF huHis hAt