The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-03-16
a.lCA UUtS
nARU MURk

(Mall Special to the Advertiser)
WASHINGTON, d. c.. March a.
The big Hawaiian news of the week
here has been the killing of the
Philippine tariff bin. A little work has
been done on the refunding BILL Mr.
w. q. Smith, of Honolulu, before de-
parting Thursday last having seen
Speaker Cannon and others in com
pany with Judge F. NJ Hatch. While
they had a. more favorable interview
with Speaker Cannon than they ex-
pected, there has been little of marked
interest in connection with the refund
ing measure.
The action OF the Philippines Com
mittee. which is undoubtedly already
known in Honolulu. was very much OF
a surprise. 1t had been generally be-
lieved that the bill would have hard
shedding and that it might be. defeated
but 1t was hardly believed that the
majority against reporting 1t would be
s to 3. Several motions were made,
one to report II favorably, one to re-
port IL adversely, and also one to re-
port 1t without prejudice. So firmly
did the opponents of the measure have
the situation In their grasp that they
were able to defeat every one of these
motions, which buried the bill effectu-
ally I'm the committee.
HATCH'S HARD WORK.
No one man has more reason to feel
gratitied at the result than Judge
Hatch. He has worked constantly for
the defeat of that bill. practically to
the exclusion of everything else since
the hearings began in the Ways and
Means Committee. He has formulated
arguments against the enactment of
such legislation and based them on
broad grounds, likely to appeal to
Senators. Besides opposing the bill In
committee he has done much more by
personal appeals. His methods have
been quiet ones, as they necessarily
had to be. and have been very effec-
tive. His old time friendships In Wash
ington stood him In good stead as did
his excellent tact In handling every
phase of the situation which present
ed itself to him.
Citations of the example of the pro-
duction of sugar in Cuba, which has
increased very largely since the en-
actment of the reciprocity resolution
and assurances that this would be re-
peated In the Philippines, were among
the very effective arguments used by
Judge Hatch. He had all the figures
on the Cuban and Philippine situations
at his fingers ends and impressed ev-
cry man he talked with by his wealth
of information on the subject Again
he argued quite as much the Injurious
effect the opening of the sugar market
WptlIl huNa
as upon Hawaiians. Thereby he kept
I'm fun accord with the beet sugar in
terests. A Senator, who has followed
the Philippine bill very closely, both
In this and previous Congresses re-
marked today that Hawaii had never
been more efficiently represented here
In case before committee
The attitude OF the Democrats on the
bill was not without interest In the
House they voted for It because they
believed 1t I'm the line of tariff reduc-
ton, to which the Democratic party
is committed. In the Senate Commit
tee some of the Democrats voted
against the bill, because they think its
enactment would draw the Philippines
closer to the United States and make
II more difficult ever to grant them
independence. Accordingly, they placed
the question of Imperialism I'm the
present Instance more important than
the question of tariff revision.
THE BILL Is DEAD.
The leaders of the Senate are herald
ing the action of the Philippines COM
mittee as sounding the death knell OF
that measure. 1t is certainly out of
ha f,,.
II can eventually be resurrected is an
other question. Perhaps towards the
end of the session, after the rate regu-
latlon bill has been disposed of some
effort may be made to revive the meas
ure But If this is done II can only
happen along lines that the most OF
the present opponents of the bill ap-
prove. 1t might be materially amend
ed and put through the Senate in the
closing days.
Mr.. George b. Mcclellan went to the
war Department yesterday for a con-
sultation with Gen. Alexander McKen-
zle, chief of army engineers. to ascer-
tam whether the $4,000 appropriated
by Congress on the urgent deficiency
bill for the filling I'm of quarantine is
land could not be used Immediately.
lie found that under the law Ii is
probably necessary to first advertise
for bids for the filling in of the is
land, which would take little time.
He promised. however, to refer the
matter to the Judge Advocate General
to ascertain whether some way can
not be found to expedite the usual
procedure, because of the opportunity
for the firm now dredging Honolulu
harbor to begin promptly on the work.
ERNEST G. WALKER.