Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-27
GAINES FINDS AN OLD LAW
Under IL OOngressmeu Forfeit Pay for all
Unnecessary Absence.
WILL ATTEMPT TO HAVE IT ENFORCED
Effort was Made TO Repeal This
statute In 1894 when the DEM
Ocrats Had Control of
House.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 26.-Representa-
tive John Wesley Gaines OF Tennessee, who
is IN favor OF enacting a new statute pro-
viding that members of congress shall for
felt s13.70 for every day they are absent,
announces that as a result OF a search
through the old documents at the capitol
has has found that a statute, passed in
1856, which prohibits absent members from
collecting their salaries unless they are
kept from their official duties by illness,
has never been repealed.
An attempt was made to enforce this
law he says, in the F1fty-second congress,
which resulted in a strenuous effort to re-
peal the statute in 1894, when the demo-
Gratis had control of the house. Repre-
sentative Gaines will call attention Of con-
gress to the statute. he says, and insist
that It be enforced.
Sargent Reports on Hawaii.
A report on Japanese conditions in the Ha-
waiian islands will be made to the president
by Frank p. Sargent, commissioner of inn
migration and naturalization a result Of
his recent visit to the islands.
Commissioner Sargent today expressed
the opinion that there are fewer Japan
csc in the Hawaiian islands now than there
were two years ago, greater number
than arrived in Hawaii. Mkt Saito, the
Japanese consul general at Honolulu, in
timated to Mr.. Sargent that the japanese
government discouraged its people from
coming to the United States because Of its
knowledge of the conditions existing in
this country, especially on the Pacific
coast, and Il was Apprehended that the
coming here of great numbers of Japanese
might induce prejudice against them that
would be embarrassing. The commissioners
of immigration found that the owners OF
sugar, pine apple and other plantations
| In the islands are in serious need of laber
| and many japanese are coming to the
isl nds to work on them. He says that
1t is the effort Of the Hawaiian planters
| to diversity their labor so far as posi-
ble not combining It TO any one race, but
getting people from all quarters Of the
world.
A second ship load Of Portuguese will ar
rive at Honolulu in a short time and II Is
probable that these immigrants will make
the Island their permanent home. Many
more plantations would be operated on the
islands If It were possible to obtain the
necessary laborers, but up to the present
time labor has been scarce. 1t is expected
that the arrival in the islands Of the Euro
pean laborers will be a solution Of the
Hawaiian labor problem.
Bids for Big Pasture.
Oficials in the general land Office are
preparing to tabulate the bids which have
been received for the sale of about 5OS,OO'
acres of pasture and wood reserve lands
in Kiowa and Comanche counties, Okla
homa Between the Sd and 18th of this
month the officials of Il land office re-
ceived 1921 individuals b.ds and 1t Is es
tlmated that each bidder has bids on al
average of thirty tracts, some of the bid
ders 1t is understood, having bid on every
one of the tracts, 1854 in number Thi'
will neceseitate the making and indexint
Of nearly $4,000 cards and it is expected tina
TO tabulate this tremendous list Will tax
three months before the highest bidder OF
all the tracts can be determined.
Demand Return to England.
Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the retiring
British ambassador. and Lady Durand' VII
sail for England December 20. Esme HOW
ard, counselor of the embassy. Will act a
charge d'affaires until the arrival OF Jane
Bryce, the new ambassador.