The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-02
SIX MONTHS
TIME IS UP
Fire Court Will
Continue to
Sit.
WILL DEPEND ON
NEXT LEGISLATURE
Next Week Will Be Given Up to
Foreign Claims = The
Feather Cloak.
yWTERE the intentions of the legis-

KWTERE the intentions of the legis-
" lature which created 1t followed
w out the Court OF Fire Commits
sioners would have been abolished by
time Limitation yesterday. Fortunately
the specific intention Of the legislature
in this respect was omitted from the
act. and the court viii no doubt sit un-
til its Iabors are completed, depending
upon the legislature to reimburse them
at it's next session.
The fire court has far from completed
It's labOrs. and will not do so for several
months. Hardly more than three-ffths
OF the number OF claims filed, aggregat-
from that number have been adjudi-
Gated.
The act to provide for the ascertain
meat and payment OF all claims which
may be made by persons whose prop
erty was destroyed by fire in the years
y ID. 1899 and 1900 under orders Of
the Board Of Health" fixes the time Of
the service Of said court BY implication
only.
There is no specific reference in the
Iaw TO the term for which the said com
missloners should be appointed, but in
providing salaries for bat six months,
it is generally considered that 1t was
the intention to limit the court to such
length OF time.
The act was signed by Governor
Dole, and became law on the S0th
day of April, 1901. and on the first of
May following the Governor issued COM
missions to the present five members of
the court Consequently if the law had
limited the court to six months their
time of service must have ended yes
terday. BY oInitting this provision from
the statute the commission Is still en-
abIed to act, and will undoubtedly now
work until every claim has been heard
and adjudicated, even though il takes
them until January or February of next
years. With the matter of expenses to
keep the commission running through
that time some other method must be
adopted.
provided the following sums for ex-
penses:
Commissioners at $40 per diem
while in session .................$ 5000
Counsel for Territory at $3.50 per
month .....-.-..........>. 1900
Clerk of Commission at $3.50 per
month ......-................ 900
Stenographer at 1925 per MONTH. $50
Interpreters at $40 per diem...... 1,SO0
Bailin at $75 per month. $50
lncidentals ......-..-.....--.- 1,OOO
Government witnesses .-....-... 1000
The total appropriation for expenses
OF the commission was S17,4Oo as noted
in the figures given above. While the
commissioners were appointed six
months ago. their actual sessions did
not begin until the middle of May and
the clerk. stenographer. bailiff, etc, did
not begin their duties until that day. |
Consequently the six months would not
actually expire until the middle of the
present month. and as the court has not |
been in session every day. there is still |
considerable of the appropriation un-
spent. It is estimated that Of the 50 600 /
set apart for the pay Of the five COM
missiOners there is an unexpended |
balance sufficient to keep the court run
ming for nearly two months. With the
clerk, stenographer and baiIiff it is diff
ferent, as those officials were to receive
a fixed salary each month. which viii
have been absorbed before the end of
November The money for expenses
after that tine must be secured from
come other source. There is some pos
sIbility Of having an additional snoun;
turned over from some Orhar :und for
the use Of the court. and u this canno-
be legally done. the court viii continue
its Sess- -ons and trust to the next legis-
laturs 10 reimburse it for expenses and
moneys paid out. The fund set aside