The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-09-12

l
them. The trouble was that 'here had
been no action by Congress upon these
recommendations
Tho ncms ~ lighthouse approprla-
tions ne Mr.. Cooper set them forth be-
gan with that Tor Makapuu point to-
| cost $50 600 which WAS needed as
| through the Moiokai channel there
passes the commerce ~ this port with
the California coast At Kahulul there
is needed light at the cost Of 10000,
as II would have 20 be on the reef and
would be constructed of concrete. on
the Puma coast. at ALA point, one would
cost $4,000. For the use OF local COM
merce n light should be placed at Kali
/ lua. Hawaii, at a cost OF s.. 1000 These
had been recommended last year, but
| there is now the need OF light at the
entrance to Honolulu harbor, the pres
ent liGht being OF small size and so
obscured by recent buildings that II isl
not picked up until the vessels are
coming into the harbor. The proposed
| light will be of better quality and in
n much different building. There was
too an estimate for tender for the
lights which would cost &l25,000. The
improvements asked would cost about
$50 900. and the maintenance something
above $500 a month. The department
had also recommended a revenue cut
ter at a cost OF S200.000
Secretary Cooper then took up the
dredging OF Honolulu harbor and show
ed by a map just what would be need
ed as well as what had been done by
the Territorial government, at an ex-
pense of SCI ,02S, before the funds ran
out The estimated cost of the dredg-
4. atgaf IN
noted the ownership of the riparian
rights and that as the harbor now
stands vessels can enter it at night
as well as in the day.
Senator Burton wanted to know about
Quarantine Island and wanted to see
the contract of settlement between the
government and the railroad company.
Secretary Cooper said he had never had
the contract which 1t turned out was
in the possession of the governor.
Senator Mitchell introduced the Kalihi
harbor plan and asked If the Secretary
thought the dredging of a channel wise.
Cooper said he thought 1t would be,
though he was not informed as to the
soundings so as to talk of the cost of
such an Improvement but he could say
that the bottom in the latter basin was
of mud which could be deepened readl-
ly. The commission showed some de-
sire to know if this would not give
the railroad company great frontage,
and asked again If the contract provid-
ed who was to dredge the channel,
Taking up Hilo Mr.. Cooper suggested
the necessity for $500, 900 for a break
water. He said there should be such
an aid to commerce, owing to the open
roadstead, and answered Mr.. Burton's s
suggestion that naval officers said ev-
erything was safe by telling of an ex-
, perience with gale in the harbor when
many ships We're greatly endangered
, Speaking next of the public building
, situation he said that the purchase of
site for a building here would amount
, to $l50,0O0 and that the government had
= no lands suitable for such purpose.
: The recommendation for Hilo was for
postotfice, to cost $4,000, and the
!, commission was shown that the custom
:, house could not well be at the same
point, owing to the great distance from
the water front. There was some dis
cussion on this point which Mr.. Burtor
dismissed with the remark:
"Oh. that's largely a matter for the
: Delegate to Congress"
;, VIEWS ON LABOR.
. Secretary Cooper said he had Other
2 matters to present, such as the coin
e age, but was advised to write letters
o containing them fully, when he men
e toned the labor question, and at once
= the commission wanted information
: Mr.. Cooper said that this was the mos
h important subject before the commits
= sion. He said the need of field labor
was great and he thought the bes
plan was that suggested that there bC
introduced an amount of unskilled la
o Dor for the plantations, men who wher
= they ceased to perform such service
4 should be sent back to their native
:, country. He explained the old system
e under which there was always deposit
ed with the Treasury department suf-
T iicient funds to carry back such la
: borers to the other side He traced the
. growth of agriculture in this country
when there was sufficient labor and
showed how in 1900 there was trade
of some 20,OVO 600 with the mainland
on account of the prosperity here
| Since the going into effect of American
: laws he said there had been a shutting
h off of labor and a consequent increase
e of price which operated against the in.
dustries with the effect that there was
e reduction of the profits and at the
same time of the trade, which he said
: was not now more than forty or fifty
per cent of what IL was formerly.
He showed that there had been a re-
, duction of the unskilled forces of some
I thing like $500 Chinese, who had re-
turned to their native country having
: accumulated their competence. The
( japanese We're about holding their own
s AS to the price for labor Mr.. Cooper
said the advance was about forty pei
: cent which made the rates here some
= thing like thirty per cent higher thar
= In Louisiana To make it all the worse
+. there was no native field labor her,
: from which the estates could draw.
i Asked as to the Porto Ricans he SAID
: there had been some 1000 imported
= that at first they had not been a sue