The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-07-03
CONFERENCE
STICKS ON
COUNTIES
Long Debate on
Cutting Out
Title.

Nothing ii .,ortant remains for the
conference committee on the Loan Act,
hut to settle the much disputed ques-
ton as to the word County" before
renortinp to the two Houses an agree
ment. The reconsideration Of the Ho-
nolulu wharf matter opens hat for
vote. but it seemed last evening tEat
It was not a great thing to decide.
The meeting of the committee was
important in the extreme in that there
was read letter from the Attorney
General answering the queries of the
committee as to legal procedure. In
a word the Attorney General holds that
If the appropriations are made speci-
fically for the counties, no work may be
done under the bill until those coun-
ties are in existence. This with the
added fact that there would be lost
some $4,000 in interest, caused deep
thought on the part of members. But
it did not change votes.
AS the matter stood at the close there
were seven members of the committee
who recognized the necessity for elm
mating the divisions into counties,
putting in provisions which would in
sure the doing of the work provided
and as we'll enabling the preparation of
the buildings and other necessaries in
advance.
A letter from Superintendent Cooper
was read a saying that the amount ap-
propriated for wharves here was In
sufficient to inaugurate the work, as
that amount would not allow the
dredging of the slips which are design
ed to take the place of the present
Pacific Mail wharf, and unless there
should be such an amount as Is needed,
it would be unwise to take away that
structure. Upon this it was that the
reconsideration of the item was had,
and the effect may be to make pro-
vision for this improvement.
When the committee got down to
business Senators C. Brown, Achi,
Paris, Baldwin and J. T. Brown with
Representatives Oil, Kaniho, keliinoi
and Gandall were present.
Senator Brown moved the reconsid-
Grafton of the wharf item, saying he
had voted with the majority, and now
reopened the question without binding
himself to vote for the same sum again
or for a greater or less one, simply
wishing to put the subject squarely
before the committee
The reconsideration of the item pass
ed
Senator Baldwin said that he could
not see how 100000 could be added to
the sum. He said Kahului might have
$4,000 taken off and he thought $780,
900 might be taken off the Hilo wharf.
j. T. Brown objected to losing any
thing from Hilo.
Senator Paris, from the School street
committee, reported in favor Of the
extension of School street with no 9TH
err description than from Liliha street
to Markham lane. The Superintendent
of Public Works, he said, had informed
the committee that If an absolute de-
scription was put in the bill it might be
impossible for him to build the road
at all. The report was adopted unan-
imously.
The word County in the headings
of appropriations came up next and
this brought out a long discussion.
Senator Paris took the position that
the word County might Jeopardize
the bill. in, that no money could be
used for the counties until January at
least and in the event of the failure
of the County Bill to become law the
improvements could not be completed.
He therefore moved the striking out
of the words EAST Hawaii County"
and West Hawaii County" and the
substitution of the word Hawaii.
Senator Brown supported the conten- |
tion, taking the six months expense
bill as an example Of how appropria-
lions should be made by Islands and
districts. Oil opposed this saying IL
the bill was held constitutional the
counties would have no money at all.
Kaniho likewise opposed the changes
and both Senators Brown and Baldwin
explained the necessity for taking no
chances OF waiting until January for
the securing OF the money with which
to prosecute the improvements. Kani-
no continued to argue that under the
six months bill there were sufficient
appropriations to keep work going on
and the counties could well wait.
III this bill comes out Of TITS eor-'''