Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-11
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
NOW CONFRONTING GOVERNOR
CARTER OF HAWAII.
Less Than Half Enough Money to Meet
Appropriations-other
Troubles.
Special Correspondence of The Evening star.

HONOLULU, r. H., December %, 1893.
Gov George r. Carter started his admin
istration with appropriation laws which ap-
propriate a quarter of million dollars,
more than twice the money which the ter
ritory can expect to receive as income,
during the period ending with the close of
1884, and after consultation with heads of
departments he has called upon them all to
cut expenditures in half. This, means that
the territorial government will spend only
half Of what the legislature authorized and
provided for spending, without providing
for receiving. Under this system 1t is esti-
mated the territory will be within quarter
of a million dollars of being even at the
end of the year, which will be, compare
lively satisfactory state of affairs.
With these difficulties, and with the
county government system going into effect,
Carter at the start is confronted by many
problems. The county act has been a good
deal discredited locally by legal opinions
that it is unconstitutional. being in conflict
with the organic act of the territory. The
result is that even now. only five days from
the date OH which the act is supposed to
go into effect, there is doubt as to how far
it will actually go into effect, or whether
1t will go into effect at all. Henry E.
Cooper former superintendent of public
works. and now a practicing attorney is
one of those who firmly believe the act to
be illegal, and he is attacking it. The Bar
Association has arranged a special test
case. for which the supreme court has
agreed to hold special session.
A Possible Crisis.
If the county act fails the dilemma will
be a serious one for the administration,
and an extra session of the legislature may
be the only way out. The territorial appro-
priations to carry On the government were
made to cease with January, 1904, in the
expectation that the county appropriations
would then begin. If the latter do not be-
gin then the administration is without
funds. and must do something at once
Carriers term began with an unpleasant
difference with A. N. kepoikai, treasurer Of
the territory, as result of which the treas
urer and governor are still personally apart
and Kepoikai is the only head of a depart
ment who does not hold consultations with
the governor. Carter held that all the
heads should offer their designations when
Gov. Dole retired but the treasurer refused
to do so, being the only one. The strained
relations which resulted are said to be
slightly improved now, and it is believed
that the treasurer wants to retire and take
the circuit judgeship of Maui, from which
the Mitchell commission recommends that
j. w. Kalua be removed No action was
taken on the recommendation, but 1t is
thought here that kalua will not be reap
pointed. kepoikai held the position under
it now by the Maui Island district repub-
lican committee. r --s..z--.
Special Session Not Wanted
There is the strongest opposition here to
a special session of the legislature, and if
the crisis arrives a further effort may be
made to get the assistance of Congress in
helping the territory out of the difficulty.
The only danger to the county act is ad
mitted to be that it may in some technical
feature conflict with the provisions of the
act Of Congress creating a form OF govern
ment for the territory. This being the case,
1t is evident that by ratifying 1t Congress
can make it supersede the other act in
whatever respects it may be in conflict with
that act, thus settling the whole difficulty.
Gov. Carter is quite likely to be one OF
Hawaiis delegates to the republican ma
uonal convention at Chicago. He has ex-
pressed himself anxious to CO. and will
probably be appointed. and unless some
thing happens to make 1t necessary for him
to stay here he will certainly make the
trip. The delegates have to pay their own
expenses, and this is quite an item from
Hawaii, but there are many anxious to go.
c. L. Crabbe, president of the senate, and
r. w. Breckons, United States district at
torney, are among those who may be Sc
lected.