The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-05-09
Of
COUNTY ACT
Something of a Tansle
About Attorneys and
Their Pay.

plot to compel the Territory to pay
handsome fee for the defense of tn
legality of the County Act before tn
courts was revealed in the resolution
introduced into the House yesterda.
asking Attorney General Andrews
number of questions as to whether h
had expressed any doubt of the legal
ity of the Act, whether he had con
| suited with any persons who had ex
pressed a purpose to test the act, anC
whether he had had correspondence o.
communication with certain attorney:
relative to the defense of the act il
the courts.
| Now, as matter of fact, Mr.. An
| drews can defend himself and his owl
| course upon any question, and will
| make an entirely comprehensive an
| swer to the House resolution, without
spondence asked for by the House reso-
luton, which by the way was intro
duced by Representative Carlos Long
has already been made public through
an afternoon paper. In connection
with the introduction of the resolution
and its introducer, it is perhaps signif-
ton is with one of the attorneys who
would have profited by any appropria-
ton made for the defense of the Coun-
ty Act.
1t will be remembered that when the
commissioners were asked to assist
the Attorney Generals department in
the defense of the County Act, Mr..
Andrews informed them that he had
no money to remunerate them for their
services other than nominally. Mr..
Cooper expressed his entire willing
ness to assist under the circumstances,
as he had worked hard on the Coun-
ty Act, and took a personal interest
in its success.
The other, Stewart, was likewise
willing to assist but he was, well, per-
maps iiol WHAT you WOuiu Cali 50 oIS-
interestedly enthusiastic. Also, very
shortly after the announcement was
made that the commissioners would as
sist in the defense of the County Act,
an attempt was made to appropriate
money in the House to pay the attor-
neys who had agreed to serve with
~ 10 g.
services. And then the Governor was
heard from, emphatically. He gave it
to be understood in pretty plain Ian
guage, as is the fashion of the Gov
ernor, that he would not for a moment
any squandering of the
public money in this season Of scarcity
to pay the fees of attorneys who had
agreed to work without pay-even if
that agreement was tentative, on the
part of one of them at least
Now the move against the Attorney
General and against the Governor has
taken a new direction, but it will prob
ably be found that the proposed raid
upon the Treasury will not succeed
any better for the new tactics. Liter
ally, Hawaii has not the money to
throw away.
The correspondence made public yes
terday. not by the Attorney General,
will be interesting perhaps. 1t fol-
lows.
May g., 1905
T. McCants Stewart, Esq, Honolulu.
Dear Sir: In consultation with the
Governor, L find he feels the Terri
-ory's financial situation of two years
ago has not been materially altered by
he Legislative session which has just
expired. The net result is an increas-
I'd revenue of some S43,000.00, with |
many laws requiring increased eXpen- |
litures throughout the different De-
)artments of even more than this !
amount Thus he is of the opinion |
hat the strictest economy in all De- !
,artments is as necessary today as it !
vas at that time.
He believes that any funds needed |
hould be raised by private subscrip
ion; otherwise it is the duty of my
Department to make every effort to
efend the law.
Under the circumstances, I do not
that you would care to as
list without fee of any kind. and,
therefore, will consider your connec-
ion with the matter at an end.
Thanking you for your kindness, I
Respectfully yours,
LORRIN ANDREWS