Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-04-30
Senators Pay Their Respects
To Governors Veto On
The PauOa Water Question

The most strenuous debate Of the
closing session in the Senate was that
on the Governors veto Of the Pauoa
water scheme Tuesday night.
Senator Cecil Brown opened the COM
bat in the following terms: move
that the bill pass Notwithstanding the
veto Of the Governor and in doing so
would say that the criticisms on the
committee that recommended the pur-
chase, and on the Senate, which passed
the bill with but two or three dissent
ing votes, deserve some reply. As to
the criticism that the committee made
no investigation or any inquiries eX-
cept of the owners of those springs,
and, as can be inferred from that mes
sage, that the action of this Senate was
taken without consideration of the
rights of this Territory. And based
upon what? Upon an attempt to ben.
eft private parties, as is stated in his
veto.
] wish to state that the committee,
or at least ! as member OF the COM
mittee had an examination made last
every member of the committee, and
every member of the Senate probably,
visited those springs, and to have
such insinuations thrown out at this
Senate and to the Legislature of the
Territory OF Hawaii. | think, Mr..
President, that we are all honorable
men and that we all came to this Sem
nj In ha inf nf Mt
large and not in the interests Of private
persons as is insinuated by the Cover
nor in his message.
This bill which has been vetoed says
that the water shall be purchased or
otherwise acquired. II is all placed In
the hands of the executive officers OF
this Territory. They have the right
to take the land at the price mentioned
in the bill, or to condemn the land at
q price fixed by jury. The commit
tee had submitted to 1t all the cost OF
pumping and the cost OF obtaining
water by gravitation from the flow OF
these springs some 500 feet above sea
level, and / submit that the committee
in making its report made II in good
/
private individual, but in the interests
of this community and of the Territory
at large. There may be errors of judy
ment, there may be errors in our
understanding of the evidence that was
! before us, but the Governor has no
right to say that the measure was
| brought in the interests of one indi.
| ~ I ig usu tsra M aH
/ submit that the question of tho
veto is not matter of criticism and to
make assertions about matters that
had come before the committee, of
which he had no knowledge, was no
part of the Governors right. II he
had the evidence that was taken be-
fore that committee he might have the
right to criticise the action OF the COM
mittee, but without having that EVIL
demo before him he had no right to
make such criticism.
l have been a member of the Legis-
lature and represented the Island OF
oahu from 1876 to the present time
and | never have before, and | hope
never 10 have again, message of this
kind sent to a Legislature of which
am a member, which insinuates that a
committee, in such an important mat
ter as this has not been faithful to its
duty. The committee had evidence of
the purity of this water certified to
by a chemist and man above Teproach,
In other words this veto says: The
committee made no investigation, they
| a
| know nothing of what they reported
to this Senate" This after the COM
mittee had taken the evidence OF wit
nesses that everybody knows, the prin-
cipal one of which had no interest
whatever, one way or other, in the de-
cision of this case.
The control of water for the City OF
Honolulu-soon hope to be the city
and County of Honolulu-is a ques-
ton that we may well weigh. II that
control goes into the hands of private
owners, as Is the case with the Spring
Valley Water Co. of San Francisco, Il
may cause this city great trouble and
expense. | submit to the Senate that
the two watersheds of this place are
: | "HSh anu W Il
ficient supply of water these two
sources must be controlled by the city
in order that the revenue which other
wise would go into the hands Of a pri-
, yate corporation may be used for the
benefit OF the city and county of Ho.
Rolulu | wish to call to the attention
OF the Senate further that there is nc
time like the present to obtain tn,
ownership OF these waters, for in tn,
development OF this country, which Ii
going on, very shortly the value OF tn,
land will increase, so that the purchas,
OF 1t today will be saving to the City
and County OF Honolulu.
This is a matter OF business, dollars
and cents, in the interests of this coun
y try, and when the opportunity is be
fore us to take 1t at a price which tn,
y evidence before the committee showed
Q was a reasonable one we should taxi
: II and not wait til the price is twice