The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-04-13
NOT STEP
BACKWARD
tFrom Wednesdays Advertiser.)

cit is all nonsense to talk about any
loss Of status as a Territory, or any
going backward to follow the creation
Of a Department of Insular Affairs at
Washington, and the putting of the
concerns of the Territory into the
hands OF that department. with a man
of the Cabinet class in control of it,"
said Acting Governor Atkinson yester-
day
''The term Department of Insular
Affairs does not exactly fit the de-
partment that it has been proposed TO
create. Department of Territories
would fit 1t better but the depart
ment would have charge of the affairs
of the Philippines, Guam, Alaska, Pa
mama, Samoa, after 1t had attended to
those of Hawaii and the other Terri
tories.
But, whatever the department is
called, the plan is not new. 1t has
been discussed by the President and
his Cabinet, by Congressman, and by
the mainland press for months past.
The new feature of it, and the fea-
ture of the Advertisers story of Sum
day morning was the stand that Cen
tral Smith took upon II.
HAWAII WOULD GAIN.
Hawaii would lose nothing at all
By the creation of department of that
kind in the Cabinet, and would gain
much. Do You know what the con-
dition is now with reference to Ha-
Naiian affairs in the several depart
ments at Washington? When an Of
hcial or a citizen wants to find out
anything about this Territory at the
departments, he is sent down a small
side corridor of big department
building into a little, dark room with
she label reading, perhaps, Patents
and Miscellaneous on the door.
And the Hawaiian matters that he
Is looking for will be classed with the
Miscellaneous. All that would be
avoided in the proposed new depart
ment. Hawaiian concerns would re-
eeive the treatment that their import
ance warrants. All information rela-
tive to the islands would be readily
accessible to congressman, citizens
and visiting officials, the secretary in
charge of the department would have
the ear of the President at all times
and voice in the Cabinet council, and
he would make 1t his business to be
Informed on the needs of the sections
If the country under him, and to ad
vance then in Congress and with the
Executive.
WOULD GAIN IN STATUS.
I'VE would not lose status. We
would gain, in the public eye and in
the convenient dispatch of public bust
ness. We would reach statehood as
quickly as under the present haphaZ-
ard system-and would stand chance
Of reaching 1t more quickly. Certain
Iy our progress would not be hindered.
! have never found that public bust
ness is hindered by convenience of
Dispatch
And that is the common sense view
of the whole business. The news point
in the Advertisers story of Sunday
morning, as the Acting Governor says
vas the adhesion of next Governor
James F. Smith of the Philippines to
the pact of the Governors of Hawaii
and Porto Rico to bring about the
creation of a new department in the
Cabinet. This plan has the approval
Of President Roosevelt. The alliance
If the three Governors does not put
Rico and the Philippines. An alliance
Of thirteen Governors could not do it.
And the adhesion of General James f.
Smith is distinct gain, because he
is a man of commanding influence
whose word will go for much in Wash
ngton.
SMITH A POWER.
Gen. Smiths adhesion to the plan
is a distinct gain also because the
Philippines now have bureau in the
War Department, under charge of
Colonel Clarence Edwards, one OF the
Best men in the army, who has the
most all-alive bureau in Washington.
IT he wants anything, he goes to Con-
gress and gets It. He does not hesi-
tate. He has the affairs of the Philip
pines at his fingers ends, and speaks
by the card every time.
The Philippines get all the money
they want, get all the troops they
want get everything they want. They
have never been turned down in Wash
ington. save on this tariff business.
And there is no assurance that that
will be permanent turn-down.
The affairs OF Hawaii and of the
sther Territories, departmentally, are
grouped in the Interior Department
under Secretary Hitchcock, with the
clerk who has In his charge Patents
and Miscellaneous" 1t is not even n
bureau. And he sinks our affairs To n
secondary place after patents. There
s no complaint 10 be made of w. b.
Aeker, who has charge OF this office.
But he has too much to do. II there
WAS a man there who had nothing "a
attend 10 but the affairs OF Hawaii,
and he wanted to accomplish any par
ticular thing, he would keep hammer
mig away AZ II every day until he got
results. Acker IL a good man, by an
accounts, but what he says about Ha-
wall when he has time 10 say any
thing filters through his chief 10 the
President-and maybe II gets there
and maybe IL does not, Anyway, re-
suits are very slow Tor Hawaii, and
very fast and sure for the Philippines
And ~ General smith is an ally moi
to be despiFed
MAINLAND PAPERS,
As showing that the matter has beer
discussed On the mainland, the follow
ing from the Washington Post of lat
date IL timtiyt