Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-12

one OF tneSe questions was IneEe DIVISION
Of sentiment, and that upon the labor
question.
The committee met in Honolulu on the
9th of September last, and Immediately be-
riod Of nearly month, during which time
they visited all Of the islands and held daily
sessions.
Municipal Governments.
Under the head of municipal governments,
which the committee first investigated, 1t
expresses surprise at the general centralized
character of the government of the terri
tory and the manner Of conducting the bust
ness of the islands. In very many respects
the organization of the territory is dissim-
liar in character to any of the other Or
ganized territories of the United States,
that it practices little Of what Is understood
to be government republican in form and
practice. There are many Of the old ele
ments of monarchy still prominent; but this,
the report says. is not to be wondered at
when the rapid transition Of the islands
from monarchy to a republic and from a
republic to a part Of the United States Is
taken into consideration.
The committee says the time has arrived
when the interests Of the people of Hawaii
require that many of the old, ancient nom
republican and undemocratic forms Of gov
eminent should be eliminated; that the CEN
tralization Of power now in vogue should
be eliminated by legislation, both federal
anu local, DdSeu upon the Well-OrSanlZeQ
principle Of republican representative gov
eminent. The spirit of home rule and true
Americanism should be injected into the
national legislation relating to the territory,
and its practical administration of both
federal and local laws.
The committee commend the devotion and
allegiance Of the Hawaiian people since
annexation. and point out the bad policy of
permitting people to conduct the govern
ment upon the ideas of a monarchy under
the form of q republic.
1.-The centralized power Of the ancient
monarchy exercised by the few, should not
be perpetuated by tacit assent. or other
wise upon the part of the government of
the United States. but should be made to
yield as rapidly as possible to more gen.
eral distribution among, and fuller ex-
ercise OF authority and power by the
many"
The report cites illustrations Of this dis
position on the part of the territory to cling
to the old monarchical forms.
The Labor Question.
Upon this important question there Is
division in the committee, Senator Burton
submitting a minority report. The report
speaks of the earnest and persistent appeals
for change in the existing Chinese Immi-
grafton act so as to permit a limited num-
Der of Chinese field laborers to come into
the islands annually and return at the ex-
piration Of a limited number of years. lie
different memorials received by the commit
tee, together with the arguments Of the
same, are set forth at length, but a majori-
ty Of the committee decided that 1t would
not be wise to open the doors wider than
they are now to Chinese cheap labor, and
pointed out that the doors are now wide
open to Japanese cheap labor, and say that
the best interests Of not only the territory
of Hawaii and the people thereof but of
the United States, do not call for any legis-
lation that would increase the immigration
% ~. .l,A Iol~1
Hawaii.
The views of the minority are set forth
by Senator Burton, who, after presenting
the subject from his standpoint, says he be-
lieves a law can be framed admitting Chi
nese to Hawaii for agricultural labor only
with sufficient safeguards prohibiting them
from participating in any other kind of
labor under penalty of immediate deporta-
ton. Such a law would work, in his opin-
ion, a vast benefit to labor and capital alike
and serve to revive the Frustrated industries
of the Hawaiian Islands.
The Public Land System in Hawaii.
The report OF the foregoing is exhaustive
and volumnous and deals at great length
with the leasing Of lands. Attention Is
called to the practice of wholesale leasing
Of lands not classed as agricultural for
| long terms Of years at low rentals, which
should be Immediately suspended by Con-
! gress. The committee further believes that
| leases Of agricultural lands for any term
should be suspended and all such lands held
| for homesteaders on reasonabl terms cor
| responding in principle to homestead rights
| that maintain on the mainland. The COM
| mittee urgently recommends that Congress
/ immedia tely suspend the power OF the terri
| tOrial government to lease either agricul-
| tural or non-agricultural lands, and that the
| control of public lands and the distribution
thereof be transferred to the Secretary OF
| the Interior and the commissioner of the
| general land office.
| The committee also recommends that Con.
| gress create the Office of surveyor general
| the whole of the Island Of Hawaii with the
| by the President. whose power and jurisdic-
| ton shall be similar to that of the surveyor
| general for the territory Of New Mexico.
| 1t also recommends the creation of two
| land districts by Congress, and the estab-
| lishment Of two land offices. one to include
| the whole Of the island of Hawaii with the
| land office at Hello. and the other district
| to include all the other islands with the
| land office at Honolulu.
| The committee also recommends an an.
| preparation Of $4,000 to enable the Secre-
| tary Of the Interior to examine the laws OF
| enable the Secretary of Agriculture to ex.
| anime into all matters concerning agricul.
| ture. forestry and public roads in said ter.
| ritory.
| Aids to Commerce.
| In this connection the committee reports
the coasts and harbors of Hawaii woefully
| deficient in lighthouses. New lights arr
greatly needed, and the committee desig-
mates the points at which they should be To-
| Gated. at an estimated cost Of $4,000. The
committee believes the cost of maintenance
| should be borne by the general government
1 1t Is also recommended hat revenue cut