The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-05-12

1
from Washington precludes any vigo-
rous discussion of tariff in official cir
ces but It Is breaking out in spots
over the country, wherever Senators
or members with pronounced views on
the subject happen to be and as soon
as any number of them get back here
to Washington the pot will boil vigo-
rously.
THE TARIFF ISSUE.
The shifting character of public
questions in relative Importance to one
another is well illustrated by the tariff
issue. At the beginning of the last
session of the last Congress tariff was
uppermost. The President had done
considerable to make 1t so. He talked
tariff revision early and late and gave
every one of his political callers
something to think about on that
subject. Then railroad rate legislation
| came to the front and obscured tariff
revision. The standpatters fought the
| President to standstill on tariff, but in
| his annual message he came out for
rate regulation and 1t jumped into ma
tional prominence. 1t was kept there
all during the winter and has occupied
first place till recently, when 1t has
seemed as though with the deficit as
suming great proportions, just as
few wsecares last winter prophesied
would happen, the tariff would again
come to the front and possibly the
curbing of railroads would, for the
time being be relegated to secondary
place, at least in the public mind.
| Much. of necessity, will depend upon
the Presidents attitude. He has be-
come the leader of popular agitation
| and the thoughts that are nearest to
him for a given time are very likely
to occupy prominent place with the
American people.
There is a prevalent feeling here
that the next year or two are to be
very important ones in matters of ma
tional administration. The country is
agog with interest over economical and
socialistic problems and looking to the
President and to Congress to do much
to cure existing evils.
PERSONAL NOTES
Mr.. and Mrs. H. A. Isenberg, of Ho-
nolulu, arrived yesterday at the New
Willard. He is quoted in the WASH
ington Post this morning as follows
with reference to Hawaiian affairs:
Just now We are prosperous in Ha-
wall because of the high price of sugar.
In the islands sugar is the keynote to
the entire Industrial and financial situ-
alton, and everything is dependent up
on it, When 1t brings good price we
are about as well off as any people
could ask; where the market is press
ed. our fortunes sing to a low ebb,
because there Is no other source of
revenue
THE most serious problem confront
ing the Hawaiian planters is the scar
city of labor. Recently we have been
losing a good many of our Japanese
laborers who have emigrated to Cali
fornia attracted by the higher wages
paid on the mainland. There is no
way to stop this emigration, and the
| laws of the United States do not per-
nit us to import Cinnamon to take the
places of the Japs. The one weak
spot in the annexation of Hawaii by
the United States was this exclusion
of the best wage-earners in the world.
They are not only efficient but cheap,
and unless we can get cheap labor our
planting industry is certain of ruin.
1t would be impossible to compete with
Cuba, which is right at your doors,
unless there was some corresponding
advantage, such as cheap labor, on our
side. considering the long distance via
Cape Horn and the Straits of Magel-
Ian that our crop has to be transport
| ed"
Mr.. and Mrs William Haywood and
their children expect to sail from San
Francisco for Honolulu June II on the
China.
1t has been reported that one of the
! Pinkham committee was here en-
route but immigration Commissioner
Sargent said today that he had heard
nothing of it, He has deferred his
trip to Honolulu till early in June.
Col, Rubin of the Qvartermaster
Generals office said today that the
plans for the barracks at Honolulu
had been approved by the Quartermas-
ter General, there having been no
changes from the description sent to
the Advertiser about a month ago. The
! specifications for the advertisements
are now being prepared, These will
be sent to Honolulu, San Francisco and
perhaps to other cities. Col. Rubin,
who has had immediate charge of this
work, said there would be no provision
in the advertisement to exclude for
eigners from bidding on the construc-
ton work.
FIGHTING MOSQUITOES.
/
Consul General Richard Guenther, at
Frankfort, Germany, has sent an in
teresting report TO the Department of
Commerce and Labor about Fighting
Mosquitoes in Germany" 1t reads:
Professor Fluegge, president of the
hygienic institute at Breslau, has sent
the following circular to the owners
and managers of dwellings in one of
| the districts of that city:
THE common council has resolved to
! fight in systematic manner the mos
quito plague, which prevails every
year, and the plan for the purpose has
been worked out at this institute. 1t
is necessary in the first place to de-
| StrOy before warm weather sets In