The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-04-22

At FEDERAL.
CAPITAL
Continued from page II
HAWAIIAN LAND BILL.

| been some informal talk about sending
an official TO the Territory this sum
| mer to look over the ground. This tall
has been chiefly on the Senate side oi
| the Capitol. but has taken no definite
| shape as yet. There seems to be some
| promise that a man will be sent in thai
| capacity, and the most natural selec-
| ton would be Commissioner Hermann
Governor Dole received an invitation
| this forenoon, soon after he arrived
| to be the dinner guest this evening OF
| ex-Secretary of State and Mrs. Foster
| He accepted the invitation. Severa
| prominent officials have been invited
| and among those who have accepted is
Senator Lodge, probably President
Roosevelts closest friend in public life
KOHALA DITCH BILL.
The decision of Assistant Attorney
| General Van DeVenter, reversing the
| former decision of Assistant Secretary
| Ryan. as to the right of the Governor
of the Territory to grant a license for
the construction of bitches across pub
| lie lands and the disposition of public
| waters, has been made public, the pur-
port of which decision was carried in
my last letter. The text of the de-
cision has been forwarded to Senator
Foraker, chairman of the Senate COM
mittee before which the Hawaiian ditch
bill is pending, and with this decision
went a letter from Secretary Hitchcock
strongly urging that the Hawaiian
ditch bill be defeated. The secretary
wrote that there was ample power I'M
der the law for the Governor to act
in such cases and stated it as his
opinion that it would be unwise to pass
such legislation at this time. This let
ter of the Secretarys was written in
answer to a request from the Senate
committee for his recommendation on
the pending bill. In his letter the Sec
rotary included a recent letter from
Governor Dole declaringthis belief that
the legislation would be unwise.
From all appearances this kills the
Hawaiian ditch bill The Senate COM
mittee held a brief meeting last Mon
day, at which Mr.. G.. Il. McCrosson
appeared in behalf of the bill. AS sew
eral members of the committee were
late in appearing, Mr.. McCrosson had
hardly fifteen minutes to present his
side of the case and then the commit
tee adjourned. Another meeting may
be held next Monday. but unless there
is some change of program on the part
of Chairman Foraker, the committee
will pigeon hole the bill.
Mr.. McCrosson, however is hopeful.
He said today that he thought the rec
ommendation of the Secretary of the
Interior would have little weight, as he
had already decided both ways. That,
to my mind, makes our case all the
stronger" said Mr. McCrosson. "Capi-
tai will not invest in such an under
taking as long as there is doubt about
the law, and the best lawyers in the
Senate declare their opinion that the law
frrl1x n nv, raf
the Secretary's decision. You see the
condition would be that as soon as any
body made move to construct an ir-
rigation ditch, somebody would take
him into the courts and then all that
has been decided by the Department of
the Interior might be reversed. Capt.
tai does not enter into projects on such
uncertaintiess
LITTLE ALIAS SMITH.
Judge Little is 'stN1 at the Metropoli-
tan Hotel, waiting for something to
turn up in the gubernatorial situation.
AS President Roosevelt has been away
all this week, Judge Little has simply
been waiting, and that is all he could
do. The President invited him to SUBJ |
nit his views on the Hawaiian situa- |
ton, as he has invited all Hawaiian |
visitors here of any prominence. The |
Judge has been much at the Capitol, |
generally visiting daily the committee |
rooms of Senators Clark and Warren, |
of Wyoming. He has been seeking adj
ditional endorsements for the COVER
norship on every hand. all of which. of |
course, are duly filed at the White
House for the Presidents inspection.
1t is understood that Senator Quay Of |
is, at least passively, sup
porting him, as Judge Little is a ma
tive Pennsylvania. The Judge, how
ever, is quite as non-committal pub
licly regarding his candidacy as could
be expected.
Il am here on private business" said
he today at the Capitol.
You would not have the Governor
ship?"
WELL" replied the Judge, warily, VI
am well satisfied with my salary as
Territorial Judge. but 1 would not be
lverse to a salary of $4,000. such as is
paid the governor. If any one in au-
-hority should press the gubernatorial
salary upon me. 1 should, of course, be
willing TO accept it,"
And everybody in Honolulu and Hilo
knows that the Judge would be more
than willing: he would be eager to get
On the pay rolls as Governor of the
Territory for the increased salary.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Delegate Wilcox is now able to be at
The House almost daily. He has been
looking around for some help to get
the 100000 bill. to reimburse people of
for the loss of houses by fire
during the plague. He will not succeed
n that. The Marine Hospital officials,
with whom he has consulted, have
given him no encoura cement.
Pretty full knowledge OF the general
matters before Congress. in which Ha-
vaiian people are interested, has gone
before in the press dispatches to San
Francisco papers. A very extreme ex-
,lusion bill passed the House. the Cali
'ornia delegation having complete con-
.rol OF the measure in that body. There
vas occasional mention of the condi-
ions in Hawaii during the debate, but
his was only casual as to labor condi-
ions there No prospects appeared of
n amendment. allowing Chinese labor