The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-04-10


the establishment of governmental
department at Washington to have
charge OF the affairs of all the out
side possessions" said Acting Governor
Atkinson to Vice Governor James F.
Smith after the two had been intro
duced in the executive Chamber OF the
Capitol yesterday afternoon.
II will do it," answered General
Smith.
Thus the pact was made, right at the
start, in the course of an interview
destined to become historic. General
Smith, who with his wife and son was
on the way to San Francisco for a
vacation trip which must end early
I'm August, had lunched with a party
of friends at the Moana, and there
after an interview had been arranged
for him with the Acting Governor.
The discussion between the two Gov
ernors was at no time a matter of
generalities, after the first formalities
of the Introduction. There was too
much in common between them-and
they were both too much men of the
same class to stand aloof.
to the covenant, Acting Governor At
kinson went on to define his views at
length. I'VE have too much at stake"
he said, "to be thrust off into the
hands of a mere clerk when we go TO
Washington on insular business. The
clerk may be highly paid. He may be,
and perhaps is, a smarter man than
| am, and worth more money to the
government. But he does not have
the ear of the President, and he is not
advised upon all insular affairs. You
are the chief of the men in the out
side possessions, General, or you will
be when you take charge of the affairs
of the Philippines. Your word will go
long way in Washington. If you
will help us in this it can be done.
There should be a Department of In
sular Affairs, with a Secretary at the
head of It,"
THAT is true" agreed General Smith
IT cordially approve of the plan. l
will mention it to Governor Ide. and
l Will pledge my own support to it."
THE PACT is MADE.
"Then it will be done" said Governor
Atkinson. II have already spoken of
the matter to Governor Winthrop of
I Porto Rico, and he has given his ad-
heson. | have spoken of it also to
those in authority in Washington, and
aa the suggestion of gentlemen there
l was engaged in draughting a bill to
cover the matter when / was called
home by the illness of Governor Car
ter"
The department would have to take
cognizance of the affairs of Samoa
and Guam and Panama as we'll" said
! General Smith. "And of course would
allow for the differing conditions in the
different possessions"
"Of course" agreed Acting Governor
Atkinson. THAT would all be pro-
vided for. The main thing would be
to have the business of the insular pos
sessions centered In and handled by a
big man who would have them well in
hand all the time. and have the ear
of the President. This country is big
enough to do that. We are interested,
you and I, in the establishment of the
American system of Government in
the islands in which we are called to
executive place, We are interested in
the establishment of the American
system because we believe that II is
the best government. We have diff
cult problems to meet, and we are
striving to meet them in the best pos
sible way"
a Department of Insular Affairs
would go far toward meeting the wants
of the present condition" said Cen
ernal Smith. I'VE have our problems,
as you say. in the Philippines. And
the difficulty of one of them has been
/ increased very greatly by the defeat
of the Philippine teriff bill Why, we
have never raised more than 100000
| tons of sugar in the islands, and the
market for that is in China. But II
every pound of II We're brought to the
United States 1t would have no appre-
ciable effect on the market They inn
port one million and IA quarter tons OF
sugar into the United States every
4 year, You can see how little OF this
We could supply even II our product
/ We're to be doubled. And as l say, 1t
( is all marketed In China"
NOT A BODY BLOW.
II do not think a body blow has been
] dealt you" said Governor Atkinson,
] N' Allll' ~ N'llllH NN'H shh Nlll NV
/ only get your sugar In with the tWen-
/ ty-hve per cent tarlff, but absolutely
/ free, For ! think the people OF the
; United states win insist that the
l Philippines shall have a square deal"
! And the consumption of sugar In
| increasing az the rate of one hundred
l thousand tons year. said General
smith. THAT h a consideration that
serms to have been overlooked
u have not overlooked ~ said Act
INK Governor Atkinson, Both Govern
or Garter ana myself have told lh,
people here that u has taken u'
lNoply yegrs 60 run oar sugar product
up 90 whore u IL while the consump'
llon 10 Increasing al lhe wonderful
rate thii "a lsh
we had the same ~ slmilar lroubl'
WIN our inhageoN Haid neneral smith
A