The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-16

| The Delegate from Hawaii is now
| striving to secure legislation that will
| fully compensate the islands for having
! supported the service during the years
since annexation. He is meeting with
good success. Senators and members of
| the House generally regard the status
of the last few years as unjust and the
| amount necessary TO fully reimburse the
territorial government is not so large
that the government IS likely to mind
paying it promptly.
The text of Gov. Carriers letter to
Secretary Shaw on the subject of light
houses has just been made public here
in House of Representatives document.
1t was written while he was still Secre-
tary of the territory and while he was
on his trip to New York about the ter
ritorial bonds. In the course of his
comments, during which he alludes to a
letter on the same subject written by
Superintendent II. E. Cooper, Mr.. Car
ter says:
"You will note in Mr. Cooper's letter
a statement of the expenditure by the
Territory on this account for the year
ending June 80, 1903, of $5,o25.34. Three
sessions of Congress have failed to pro-
vide for the protection of Our coasts,
notwithstanding the repeated attempts
Oh our pEODiG " OIItR ltlC iltdltCl W
their attention. Even the report of the
special committee of the Senate, con-
sisting of Senators Mitchell, Foster, and
Burton, which visited the islands brought
no result. During this period the gov
ernor has been ready to cede whatever
land the Light House Board might de-
sire, and our people believe they have a
right to ask Congress to reimburse them
for the amount taken from their limited
revenue to provide for humane reasons
for what the Federal Government has
failed to do.
The American people with Hawaii
in their possession and little foresight
can control the commerce Of the Pa
ci6c, which with three-hfths of the
worlds population tributary to it will
far surpass that of the Atlantic. While
appropriations have been made through
the river and harbor bill for all kinds
of unheard-ot places, the harbor of Ho-
nolulu which carries greater deep-sea
American tonnage than any port other
than New York City, is left TO care for
itself.
During the period since annexation
ocean steamers have been built and are
now in use on the Pacific too deep for
our channel, and 10 the neglect and !.
shame of Congress, our own taxpayers,
including many British and German SUBJ
Iects, have provided an appropriation
for dredging even that portion of the
aarbor turned over by the act Of an
lexation to Federal control forever, not
the contributions from
his community, through customs and
)ther revenues, far exceeds that or any
,ther 10000 people. Under these cir
failure OF Congress to sup
element our local expenditures will
lardly reflect credit on the imperial
,olicy of the Republican party. Already
ONE of our Boston friends say we must
Expect to be neglected. as our form of
government IS unsuitable to expansion
The other items mentioned by ST.
Cooper are of Importance,
the erection OF Federal
iilding at Hilo for custom house and
ost-office and similar building in Ho-
olulu.
Another item of $3.50 for the main
.nance of bucys is perhaps Of still more
Importance"
Probably much OF the interest of the
.ssion of Congress henceforth will be
! politics. The Democrats are putting
n their war paint and will try TO make
lot OF political capital for use IN the
lmpaign. The Democratic National
ommittee meets here Jan. II to decide
pom time and place for holding the
ational Convention That will bring
lot of Democratic politicians together.
he Republican fences. however, are IN
bod condition. The leaders in Senate
Id House are well prepared to resist
e hostile advances.
ERNEST G. WALKER.