The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-03-14
THE SENATE.


The Senators did little high-class
politics at the afternoon session yes
terday upon the second reading Of
House Bill 49, fixing the pay of day
laborers in the public employ at the
rate of slips per day. The bill had been
reported from the Senate Judiciary
Committee with an amendment that
provided that such laborers should
receive $3.50 per day in Honolulu and
$1.25 in the outside districts, the COM
mittee advancing the argument that
the price of living was greater in Ho-
nolulu, and that therefore the men
should be paid more to enable them
to support their families.
In the beginning, when the bill came
up for second reading, McCandless
arose and asked for some information.
He said that he understood the House
had passed the county bill, and if that
were true and the county act were to
pass both houses, it would put this
matter of the minimum pay of labor
ers into the hands of Boards of Super
visors. The rates of pay mentioned in
TIE Dlll, ny Tie way were
rates in all cases.
After McCandless had been told by
Achi that the matter was still on for
the consideration of the legislature.
Bishop wanted to know why a dis
elimination had been made by the
committee against laborers in the out
side districts.
Achi answered that the cost of living
was higher in Honolulu and then
Bishop moved that the minimum wage
be fixed at $1.30 day, this, he said
would cover the discount of two per
cent now made on the warrants Of
laborers
Paris said that Kona people were
glad to work for one dollar day. If
the wage were raised to SIPS or $1.50,
there would be Just that much less
money left to spend for public i'm
provements.
HIGH POLITICS.
Gandall thought the rate of pay
should be uniform throughout the is
lands. 1t was not true that it cost
more to live in Honolulu than in Ka-
uai. for instance.
Dickey called attention to what he
said was an error by Bishop in stating
that laborers lost anything by having
their warrants discounted. Labor
ers,' said the Senator from Maui, ARE
not paid by warrant
DO you mean to say that they do
not get their pay by warrants?" asked
Achi.
YES"
70
ing about" Achi exclaimed.
Then Dickey moved that the mini
mum wage throughout the islands be
put at one dollar a day.
"That was my notion" said Paris.
"Then 1 second it," said Dickey.
at has been said that If we vote
against this bill we will not be re-elect-
ed" said Paris, but 1 think If we
vote the improvements, We will get the
votes"
Achi made an earnest plea for the
passage of the bill as 1t came from the
committee. President Isenberg, calling
Paris to the chair, made a speech
agreeing with Achi that it cost more
to live in Honolulu than in the outer
districts, but said that the rate of
wages fixed in this bill would be the
minimum. AS much more might be
paid as was possible. But he said the
laborers of Kauai would be satisfied
with one dollar day! They were,
many of them, now getting only from
70 to so cents.
ONE DOLLAR THE WAGE.
Achi was willing to accept the dollar
rate for outside districts, but did not
believe 1t would answer in Honolulu,
where he knew, in spite of all that had
been said to the contrary, it cost more
to live.
The vote came on the motion of Paris
to fix the rate at one dollar a day, a
minimum, in all parts of the Territory,
and the motion carried. The bill as
amended passed second reading. and
will be read for the third time tomor-
row.
At the opening of the session yes
terday morning, the House informed
the Senate of the passage of number
of bills, all of which were deferred UNI
der the rule for twenty-four hours to
give the junior body chance to
change its mind. Later In the day.
notice was sent up that the House
had passed the County Act and that