The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-07-16

| ton was defeated, as was the amend
ment for Hawaii, tie vote on the lat
| ter item being % ayes and 10S noes.
! Accordingly these two items went back
/ into conference together and the House
conferees found it easy to accept the
appropriation for Charleston, provided
! the Senate conferees would yield the
Hawaiian item. That is exactly what
| happened in short order. But although
the fire claims item failed. it now has
such a standing in Congress that the
opportunity for it's consideration at the
next session of Congress is good. If
the House committee on Territories can
take that bill up this coming winter
and report it favorably there ought to
be good chance of it's passing, al
though Uncle Joe" Cannon made a
strong plea that the United States had
left Hawaii debt free when anneXa-
ton occurred and therefore we had
done about all we ought to do for the
/ Islands.
A splendid fight in behalf of the Ha-
waiian amendment was made on the
floor by Representative Monden of Wy
oming. He moved that the House re-
Cede and concur with the Senate
amendment, explaining that the Ha-I
waiian Islands had come to us of their
own free will at the beginning of the
Spanish war. They have no represen-
tative at present on this floor said
Mr. MondelI. the Delegate from that
Territory being absent and, l UNDER
stand. ILL" He added that il was a
very important matter To the Hawaiian
people and told the history OF the
claim and how ii originated. He re-
cited how it became necessary to place
in quarantine camps over 5000 people
and to maintain them for months. The
result was that the Hawaiian Govern
ment expended over SS07, 900 for the sup
preston Of the plague. He told of the
work of the commission in sitting out
the Just claims for buildings burned
and property destroyed. and how. at
the time of annexation the Government
OF Hawaii was receiving about $500, 00U
annually in the way Of customs dues
and other receipts, including an occu-
patton tax. since declared unconstitu-
tional. If Hawaii had remained with
the form of government before annex
alton. the claims would have been paid
out of the local treasury, but the Gov
eminent had taken those funds from
the Islands and therefore nothing was
left with which to pay these claims.
The Federal Treasury had taken s.. 800
BOO net from the Islands since annexa-
ton. although President Mckinley had
obligated Hawaii to the extent of a
million and a half of dollars for the
FIRE losses and the Territory had been
put to the further expense Of $500. 600
AZ q time when her revenues We're suf-
fCieut to meet these expenses. Fed
sral officers had encouraged the de
struction Of the property and the loss
vas so great that Hawaii could by no
leans pay il.
Ex-Governor Powers of Maine advo-
'ated the adoption of the Senate
amendment. The 5000 or more poor
,ersons who are interested in this mat
er." said he. because their little
property has been destroyed, are vir- /
ually without a representative on this =
ioor. Sickness or something else pre- .
-ents him from being here. Besides.
, is not familiar with our methods
nd our language"
The Governor further declared that I
a believed the claim meritoriOus. The r
ght "a burn and destroy the houses
cder The circumstances and the ne
essfty or propriety Of doing SO was 2