The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-24
He Will Take Up the Subject in
His Forthcoming Message
to Congress.
He May Also Include Coinage Bil---Forecasts
of the Senatorial Commission---Changes
in Organic Law Nay Be Slow.

by the House. To this end he has been
consulting with the Secretary of the
Treasury, Mr.. Shaw, and is in fair
way to succeed. The coinage bill is a
notable example of the impossibility of
passing legislation, for Hawaii by a
-twe-thirds vote. Three times it has
had a majority in the House, but never
a two-thirds majority. The Democrats
make of it a party matter and oppose
it solidly.
SENATORIAL COMMISSION.
Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, arrived
here late last week and is at the Dewey
hotel for the winter. Senators Foster
and Burton will join him here this week
and they will begin the work of arrang-
ing the testimony for printing and
rresenta ton before the Senate Commit
tee on the Pacific Islands and Porto
Rico. In an Interview Senator Mitchell
reiterated to me largely what he has
said in other interviews since he reach
, edl the mainland.
While none of the Senators will talk
about their proposed recommendations,
it is pretty plain that some of them
want to recommend some changes in
the organic law of the Islands. 1t will
be little surprise here if the reeommen-
cations are quite extensive ana include
matters relating to county and muni-
cipal government, management of Ter
ritorial funds and laws relating to the
judiciary. The Senators on the sub
committee intend to present their re-
port just as early as possible for they
want Congress to have the information
to - tn oaf OF hic GO
sion.
| The success of efforts to make any
| changes in the organic law at the COM
| ing session of Congress, is very prob
| lematical There will be less than
three months of working time in the
session and the experience always has
been that little short of absolutely
necessary legislation, can pass in thai
time. The appropriation bills, some
fourteen in all, have the right of way
and occupy much Of the session.
good start may be made towards modi-
| flying the organic law of the Territory
bat it is very doubtful if this proves
more than a. beginning, which can be
used as an argument in favor of such
legislation or something like it in the
next Congress-, which will not meet .fol
year yer.
CUBAN RECIPROCITY.
| There has been nothing new of late
! in the Cuban reciprocity situation. The
proposed treaty will hardly be made
public for two or three weeks yet. Con
gress meets three weeks from today
and the early days of the session in the
Senate are likely to be devoted to its
consideration.
POLITICAL AND Personal.
| Election is now five days gone and
every district in the country has beer
| heard from, save Hawaii, but the re-
| turns from there viii undoubtedly be
known here before this letter leaves
| the mainland. The Democrats have
evinced little sincere grief at the loss
OF the House of Representatives for two
| years more, as they prefer to let tht
Republicans have the full RESPONSE
bility.
| Prof. B. w. Evermann, Of the United
| States Fish Commission, returned yes
terday from the West where he ha:
been spending a few days since hi:
work in Hawaii. He is bringing his ex
tensive collections with him but to datt
| has little that is new to say.
ERNEST G. WALKER.