The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-22
A CLOSING REVIEW.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. March 10
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 OF
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 APP
preparations, which will go to the pub
lie works in the Islands, the latter
provision will take from the Treasury
SAB AIS, 3S5 IL. 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 a 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, 1t is within
the province of Secretary Gage to
name a port on each Island as a sub
port of entry, and in addition, TO 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 discharging
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
5153 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
New York by transport at very slight
Cost, Out lIOll AidShd anu I1dWdll II ID
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-
duction bill to look after little matters
like this. Within the last week, how
ever the House committee reported
an amendment to section 5153, which
leaves the regulation as to deposit
with sub-treasuries in force except as
to the inSular possessions, where the
deposit is authorized directly in the
national depositary- This will prevent
the draining out of Hawaii of at least
a million dollars during the year of the
United States holding the custom
house.
The matter of payment OF bonds was
one to which the United States was
pledged by the annexation resolution,
but in this year of inordinately large
appropriations there was a danger that
economy might prevent the incorpora-
ton of the paragraph in the sundry
civil bill. Chairman Cannon, of the
appropriations committee, has been
kept very well informed as to the con-
dition of affairs in the Islands, and
realizing that the spirit of good faith
demanded the immediate payment or
these bonds, put In the clause which
was allowed to remain, the only change
being that the Senate added nearly
$40. 900 for the payment of interest.
This much the Islands got, but the
story of things sought which could not
be gained is much longer one, though
perhaps not so interesting. Easily
leading the list of these is the bill for
the redemption of the silver coinage
and currency This was or vital i'm
nortance. and was advocated in letters
from ell the banks and principal bust
ness houses to friends in Congress
have explained in former letter why
the bill failed. 1 believe firmly that
IT would have passed but for the unfor-
tunate mis-statement Of the delegate,
that gold was still at a heavy premium
over silver in Hawaii The inevitable
result was a rafting skirmish between
the gold and silver men. HILL Of Con-
nectfcut. banker of experience. and