The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-12-15

half q century.
CURRENCY REFORM
Arriving Congressman invariably in
fuence the prevailing sentiment on
congressional questions. Two or three
weeks ago currency reform legislation
was filling the Washington air. The
bankers had been agitating for it. They
had agreed upon a plan and thus con-
founded Speaker Cannon, who has been
fond of observing nonchalantly:
We'll, have never heard of any two
bankers agreeing upon that question.
Guess we had better let currency re-
form alone till the bankers find out
what they want. Then we will try
to find out whether the country agrees
with Them
But the bankers have agreed and in
the first flush of their victory it did
seem as though some currency reform
legislation would go through the House
klting. 1t may yet. But strangely
enough. the statesmen in town this
week for the only assemblage that ever
brings 3S6 members and 80 senators in
to one city at the same time, are near
ly all silent about currency legislation.
1t is giving them little concern. They
must be walked up on the question if
any legislation on currency is to be
enacted
TWO PRESSING SUBJECTS.
On the other hand two topics that
made congressman weary toward the
close of that session are now foremost
in interest-ship subsidy, or ship sub
vention as the friends of the bill prefer
to call it because it is a less offensive
term, and Philippine tariff. It seems
ba 1oiI
those bills to become law at this ses-
sion. The President is behind them
and the parleys for arranging the de-
tails will begin forthwith. The friends
of ship subvention are already throng-
ing the hotel corridors. The Merchant
Marine Committee of the House is to
meet before the week is over and, al
though it was said that the committee
was evenly divided over the bill last
session, it is now freely predicted that
there will be a majority for a favorable
report to the House.
Nevertheless there will be lot of
pulling and hauling before the act is
written on red bordered parchment,
signed by Speaker Cannon and Vice
President Fairbanks, and passed on up
to the White House for the signature
of President Roosevelt. Strong oppo-
nents are standing in the path; they
will fight. The Democrats are opposed
to it. almost to man. so is Represen-
tative Theodore Burton, of Cleveland,
Ohio, in some respects the strongest
personality in the House. He stands
high as Republican and will probably
have many Republican followers among
the members from the Middle Western
States. 1t is not believed, however, !
hot hi fo r ha
word has gone around that Speaker |
Cannon acquiesces.
That is a struggle for the House. 1t !
is the one thing that now enlivens that
body. Otherwise legislative interest at
that end of the Capitol is dormant. No
other big measures are looming on the
horizon, although there are many that
look mighty big to the localities they
affect. sasi
The Senate's big struggle, on the
other hand, promises to be the Philip
pine Tariff bill. There will be other
struggles for the Senate, before the
session ends, but Philippine tariff is
the one big administration measure
pending there. Senator Hale, of Maine,
luiet but sagacious, cooped that bill up
IN committee last session SO effectively
that Senator Lodge. the chairman.
never quite understood how it was
lone till the committee vote had been
taken. Mr.. Hale held the reins well
n hand till the last day of the session.
During the summer he has reIented
md other things have happened to
1elp the Philippine tariff bill on its
way and consequently to make big
BIZ Taft, Secretary of War, more
cheerful, for if there is one thing Mr..
Taft wants Congress to do it is to pass
he Philippine bill Mr.. Hale still
wants the subsidy bill, which the Sem
ate passed last year, to become law,
because Maine is a ship building and
ship sailing state. The friends of Phil
ppine tariff have been therefore trad
ng favors back and forth between the
TWO ends of the United States Capitol. 1
PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE.
Some influential Republican senators
believe the day of granting indepen-
1ence to the F'ilipinos is fast approach
ing. They also hope it is, because
they have found during the summer
that the people are becoming tired of
the large government expenditures in
the Philippines for which we are get
ting little return. They would like
good valid excuse for turning the Fill
ipinos loose. When the legislative as
sembly is inaugurated at Manila next
summer, many think it will be but
short time before the Filipinos come
out strongly for independence. If the
Filipinos govern well through the as
sembly, a great campaign for casting
them adrift will begin forthwith in
Congress. 1t will have many ardent
supporters.
Seeing this ahead the opponents of
the Philippine tariff are relinquishing
their opposition. The beet sugar grow
ers and the tobacco growers are not
about it. They will fight
but, as things look now, their opposi-
ton will not prevail. The Philippine
bill will pass, the ship subsidy bill will
pass and Congress will die March 4
next having rounded out a remarkable
record for epoch making legislation.
ERNEST c.. WALKER.