Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-10-25

Governor carter mas written tne IOl'
lowing letter to the Hilo Chamber Of
Commerce as an answer to its inquiry
regarding the bond issues and expen.
| iiture of money under them:
October 81. 1905.
| Hilo Chamber Of Commerce, Hilo, Ha.
wall.
Gentlemen: Up to the present I have
not had an opportunity to reply to
your letter of Sept. 23d, re the bond
issue.
| 1t pleases me to note your approval
of the plan of keeping the debt Of the
| Territory at minimum. Common
sense would dictate such a course.
With this three.quarters of a million
dollars the Territory will have exhaust.
ed fifty per cent. of her borrowing
capacity, and will be paying nearly
$4,000 a day interest, and this with
out any provision as yet being made
by the Legislature to meet this indebt.
Odness.
During the last session Of the Legis.
lature, Treasurer Campbell made n
suggestion (Which approved) that
the revenues and proceeds from the
sale of public lands be set aside for
the redemption of our bonds. The rev.
enue for the last year was some $780,
10000, and the sales under SiO,000.0O.
with which, II not increased, II would
take some twenty.four years to pay off
our present debt. Such an act would
| At hz. rtttt Ntyha n
sales or revenues from the lands In
creased to such an extent that they
made too large sinking fund, the
amount could be reduced. But no, II
did not appear as If either the people
of the Territory or their representa-.
tives felt any responsibility as to the
Gebt they were creating. 1t was
easier to let posterity do the worry.
ing.
Many of the arguments brought for.
ward in regard to this loan question
seem to miss the point entirely. and
dwell rather on the necessity of the
work contemplated than upon the wis.
dom of making an expenditure with
borrowed money.
Previous to the passage of this loan
bill, a county act had been passed
which, If constitutional, would revo.
!utionize our whole system of govern
ment. The Legislature had been
through one experience where such an
act had been declared unconstitutional
and they could not forsee the result OF
the second act, and could not legislatC
in any way with certainty. There must
of necessity In such change be tran
sition period-one of friction and diff
iCulty. For instance: II they had
legislated on the theory that the coun
> ties were to take charge OF the roads
entirely, and the county act had beer
declared unconstitutional, 1t woult
have been impossible to do any worl
on roads at all without a special SEES
sion of the Legislature.
Now the situation has been entirel!
altered as the act has been tested an,
found constitutional.
There seems to have been an indef
mite plan that the Territory SHOULD
build new roads and the counties re
pair and maintain the old ones. Blu
no definition has as yet been laid dowI
as to what Is new road work. Every
body has a different idea in regarC
to 1t.
note you, too make distinction
between work on new" and odd
roads, and would be very much oblig
ed II you would give me a definition
of what you consider new road, 70
have had all kinds of argument
presented to me in regard to this ques
ton, and It is often apparent that tn
desire for the appropriation molds tn
argument. You know, shoyelful o
dirt taken out OF the gutter and throw
on the road can be considered as new
work; II Is new" in the sense tina
It has never been done before.
II was argued during the last ses
zion that certain districts with a smaI
population and long distance would r.
quire assistance in their road WORK
And there was considerable talk Of tn
Territory maintaining the belt road
around the Islands as Territorial
But nothing could be done with an
certainty at that time, and in m
- opinion it Is absolutely necessary thi
;. the Legislature should declare jus
q what roads are to be Territorial road
and whether or not the Territory Is I
< be responsible for their maintenan(
q as well as construction. know of Il
2 authority by which the EXecutiN
. could settle such a question.
You argue that road extensions al
4 largely Territorial matters becaui
the counties outside of Honolulu hay
! not the means to carry out such wor
Is 1t not then the means that you wal
4 rather than that the Territory shou
build roads? II so, all that Is niece
3 sary Is that the Legislature should
y allot the revenues as to give the cou
a ties outside of Oahu sufficient meal
Z N rarry on tha work | can not ayr