The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-03-24
Walker Reports Current
Rumors of His
ReIenting.
(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)

/ WASHINGTON, D. c., March H.
| ments in Hawaiian affairs here for the
| last week. The refunding bill, or seq
regation bill, is still with the House
| subcommittee to which it was re-
ferred and seems to be sticking there.
| The Philippine Bill is still dead in the
Senate Committee on Philippines. No
| prophecies that some life will yet be
| instilled into it are warranted. 1t is
simply case where no one can tell
| what may happen, although every week
| that passes without agitation for action
| increases the prospects that the bin viii
not be revived at this session.
Chairman Cole, of the Territories
subcommittee, has been out to Ohio,
which is one reason for nothing having
| been done on the bill. But Speaker
Cannon has been opposed to the legis-
lation There have been reports, ap-
parently with some foundation, that
the Speaker has withdrawn his oppo-
sition as far as the Territories com
mittee is concerned. Different mem
bers of the committee say they have
understood such is the case, but they
have no definite information. The op-
ponents of the bill in the committee
however, say that it can not be enacted
into law.
1t must be admitted that that seems
L 4 Z
Hepburn, who has befriended the bill
greatly, is still doing all he can to help
it along. Should the bill by any chance
ultimately be passed, it viii be in large
measure due to his loyal work. Just
now Col. Hepburn is in the South with
committee of Congressman.
Last week the Senate passed the
Statehood Bill, but struck out all ref
erence to Arizona and New Mexico,
leaving it bin simply to erect a state
out OF Oklahoma and Indian Territory.
That is contrary to the administration
plan and Speaker Cannon has called
caucus of Republican members for
Wednesday with a view to binding all
the Republicans of the House to vote
for the bill as it passed the House some
weeks ago They viii be asked to back
up their conferees in standing out for
the original bill and without the Senate
amendments.
This afternoon there has been con-
siderable talk in influential circles
about the House using the statehood
bill to pry the Philippine Bill out of
committee before the close of the ses-
sion. The argument is that the Sen
ate has killed or mangled every admin
istration bill thus far sent to it and
that the House can now well afford to
insist on the observance of the Presi-
dent s policies with reference to inn
portant legislation and by Withholding
it's approval indirectly force the Senate
to action-on the Philippine Bill for
instance.
There may be some logic in such a
plan, but it remains to be seen whether
the House leaders can accomplish any
thing by it. AS a matter of fact the
Senate does not care very much about
the statehood bill and many Senators
would be willing the bill should be
killed. The most one can say with as
surance is that the situation is very
tangled for the Republicans.
Mr. George B. Mcclellan saw Gen.
Mckenzie. chief of army engineers.
this morning and was informed that
the Comptroller of the Treasury, Mr..
Tracewell had decided the War De-
partment could utilize the $4,000 APP
for filing in Quarantine
Island forthwith, without the delay of
advertising for bids Gen. Mckenzie
will therefore offer ten cents a cubic
ward for filing in that island and if
the company now dredging Honolulu
Harbor is willing to accept that figure
work can be begun forthwith. Other
wise Cen Mckenzie will not award any
contract for the work, at least for the
present.
Representative Kahn of California
las introduced bill to appropriate
s35. 900 ''to provide for filling in that
portion of the naval station at Homo
ulu. Hawaii. known as the Reef
The text of the bill is as follows: That
he sum of thirty-fve thousand dollars,
# so much thereof as may be neces-
arv, is hereby appropriated. out of
nv money in the Treasury not other ;
wise appropriated, for the reclamation l
+ that portion Of the naval station at {
honolulu Hawaii. known as the Reef.
rom material now being dredged from '
he harbor at Honolulu, and for the
ecessarv dikes or retaining walls. to I
q expended under the direction of the
secretary of War. and the supervision c
{ the Chief of Engineers, such portion I
hereof as may he agreed upon between /
he Secretary of War and the Secretary
f the Navy. as necessary for fortitica- V
ion purposes, to be transferred to the I
Var Department T
Continued on Page 4)