The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-06-26
V|CE-CONSULS and FEES
UNCLE SANS READY METHOD OF
BALANCING
Arbitrarily cuts Down Accounts so a!
To Bring them Within the Appropria-
tion-A Real Transition Period"

The late American consular officials
at the various ports of the Hawaiian
Islands are having an. interesting time
setting their accounts and getting their
money from the state department.
They became functus othcIo } Ia" IA
1900 but they are just 1Dw .t;iig their
accounts audited though they have not
yet got their final payments. These
accounts are not for fees for issuing
consular certificates, bills of health or
any of those things for which a fee is
paid at the time the service is rendered.
They are for services rendered and eX-
penses incurred i'm behalf of American
vessels and seamen, in the course of
their duty as consular representatives,
and so i'm many cases these accounts
represent money actually paid out by
the consul on behalf of shipwrecked
sailors or something of that sort
But notwithstanding this the consular
officials are only going to get about a
third or a half of what is due them on
this account for the period from Au-
gust IS, 1895 the day after the Ameri-
can flag went up, and June l3, 1900, the
day before the territorial act went into
effect and American consuls to Hawaii
were no more.
The state department has not seen
fit to make any explanation of why il
is cutting down these bills, but has sent
to each of the late consular officers a
statement of account as the same is to
be allowed which is thought to tell a
very interesting story by inference.
The accounts of all the consular agents
in Hawaii during the time there were
such here. We're forwarded and audited
through the consul general Each con-
Sular agent made up his accounts and
sent them to the consul general who
forwarded them to the state depart
XKrbi oh al
the account of the consul general. This
explains certain forms of expression in
the communications from the state de-
partment. Each of the late consular
officials of Hawaii has received a com
munication from the state department
of which the following is a copy, ex-
cept that the name and amounts differ
I, in each.
The United states TO------Dr
on account of the appropriation for
anneXing the Hawaiian Islands to the
United States.
To amount found due to me for SER
vices to American vessels and seameT
between August -, 1898 and JunS IS
1900, upon the settlement of the ac-
counts of William Haywood, late Spe-
cial Agent of the Department of State
at Honolulu II. l., for the said period
as advised by the Office of the Auditor
for the State and other departments
under date of May /. 1901.
Attached to this is the following
blank form of receipt.
Received this--day Of, from
| Thomas Morrison, Chief, Bureau, of Ac.
counts, and Disbursing Clerk, Depart
ment of State, the sum of---in full
payment of the above account.
Late sub-agent of the United States
To- Hawaiian Islands.
1t will be seen that William Haywood
is not spoken of as consul general, u
but as late special agent of the depart.
ment of State and the vice consuls are
spoken of as ''sub-agents of the United
States" This is supposed to be on tbs
theory that after the contamination OF
annexation by the flag raising August
II, 1898, Hawaii became a part of the
United States and hence that there
could not be a United States consul t.
port of the United States. For this
reason too, it is assumed that the audit
ing department would not audit con-
sular fees of an American consul To-
Gated in American territory out of the
consular appropriation, but only out
of the 100000 appropriated by the New.
landes resolution which annexed the
| Islands
Finally the theory is that these con.
sular accounts were cut down bodily
without any regard to their business OF
correctness, to made them come within
| what remained of this appropriation
| That is that this appropriation had be
come nearly exhausted so much sc
| that the accounts could not be paid il
/ full. To pay them in full the state de
partment would have to go to Con.
/ gress with a request, for an additional
/ appropriation "for anneXing the Ha.
waiian Islands," or for an additional
| appropriation for consular services in
territory of the United States. Neither
course was very promising, and in any
event involved delay. So it is supposed
it was decided to cut the accounts dowr
to bring them within the appropriation
and let it go at that.
But the late vice-Consuls of tbs
| United States to Hlo, Mahukona and
Kahului, Charles Furneaux, e. A. Fra.
ser and f. c. Allen lose a few hundred
dollars apiece by this rude but ready
means of balancing accounts.
MIST DRAIN KEWATOO