The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-02-19
Dillingham; Blocks the
Electric Franchise
Measure.
mail Special to the Advertiser.l

Mail Special to the AuNeTliser.I
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. g.
There has been a further hitch in con-
sideration of the electric lighting fran
chise bill before the House Committee
on Territories. Representative Ham
ilton, chairman of the committee, in
formed me today that cablegran had
been received from Mr. Dillingham;,
asking that nothing be done with the
bill until representative could be sent
from Honolulu to appear before the
committee. Mr.. Hamilton was au-
thorized by the committee to send
cablegram in reply that Mr.. Diliins-
hams request would be complied with.
This request on the part of Mr.. Dill
bingham Is not understood here. Those
interested in the franchise bill 'are
awaiting further light as to what Mr..
Dillingham; wants done. 1t is recos-
nized here that he Is man OF large
affairs and of such Importance in the
community that his views should be
fully known to the committee II ne
desires to have them presented. But
not being prominently Identified with
the electric company. it is thought that
he may have taken stand in some
particulars hostile to the proposed leg
islation.
w. o. SMITH ARRIVES.
Mr.. w. o. Smith, of Honolulu, arriv-
ed here few days ago. He is stop
ping at the Shoreham. Mr.. Smith has
been at the Capitol and renewed ac-
quaintances with some of his old
friends there. He has seen members
OF the House Committee on Territories
regarding features of the franchise bill.
With his large experience in. public
affairs and his acquaintance with pup
lie officials, Mr.. Smith has rapidly got
ten in touch with Hawaiian matters
here. Public men have been glad to
improve the opportunity of ascertain
ing his views about insular conditions.
Mr.. Smith has been the object of no
little social attention since he arrived.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt invited
him to the Congressional reception,
which was held at the White House
last evening.
HAWAIIAN LABOR CENSUS.
Representative Powers, of Maine,
acting under the directions of the
House Committee on Territories has
drawn a favorable report on the bill
of Representative Robinson of Indi-l
ana, providing for census of labor in
the Islands once every five years, in
stead of annually, as at present. The
bill, which will probably be passed by
the house, provides for an amendment
of the organic act so that section rs
will read as follows:
'"That there shall be superintendent
of public instruction, who shall have
the powers and perform the duties
conferred upon and required or the
minister of public instruction by the
laws of Hawaii as amended by the Act,
and subject to modification by the leg
islature.
1T shall be the duty of the United
States Commissioner of Labor to COL
lect, assert, arrange, and present in re-
ports i'm nineteen hundred and five, and
every five years thereafter, statistical
details relating to all departments of
labor in the Territory of Hawaii, es-
pecially in relation to the commercial,
Industrial, social, educational, and
sanitary condition of the laboring
classes, and to all such other subjects
as Congress may by law direct. The
ed to ascertain the highest, lowest
and average number of employees en-
gagged in the various industries in the
Territory, to be classified as to nativ-
ity, sex, hours of labor, and conditions
of employment, and to report the same
to Congress-"
Gov. Powers report, after citing some
preliminary facts, proceeds as follows:
Hon. G. w. w. Hanger, Acting
Commissioner of Labor, in a letter da-
ted January IL, 1904, to Hon. Gordon
Russell, of Texas, member of the
subcommittee which had this bill I'M
der investigation, in answer to an in
quiry submitted to him, makes the fol-
lowing statement: Two annual reports
have been made under the original BILL