The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-04-12
LOCAL OPTION
VOTED DOWN

sage reviewed the present status OF the
loan fund and submitted n bill for the
rcappropriation OF certain parts Of IT,.
An attached statement showed the cash
balance Of the Loan Fund to be $751;.
317.46, against which are existing con
tracts amounting to $3.50, 100, leaving
balance Of $145,117.96.
This the Governor proposed devoting
to the completion Of works already un-
der way, the bill diverting $4,000 Of
it for the Nuuanu dam. The only new
item in the bill was one Of $4,000 for
buildings for an Agricultural College.
RICE SCENTS A PLOT.
The reading of the message and a
glance at the bill brought Rice to his
feet with snort. He said:
~ see perfectly well now why they
have held up the money. 1t is to
complete that Nuuanu dam. This is
why the money for the other islands
has been held up. think this is not
fair.
"They have spent $4,000 now and
they have $4,000 more to spend. Now
they want $4,000 more. This dam
is going to cost 100000. do not
think this Legislature is being treated
fairly. The last Legislature was not
treated fairly. If / remember Alright
the last Legislature reported against
this matter. But they went ahead, the
executive, and spent the money just
as they wanted and now they want to
spend the rest just where they want.
What is the use of having a Legisla-
ture if this is the way they are going
to dos
81 have the report of that commit
tee here. 1t reported against spend
ing that money on the Nuuanu dam.
We appropriated 100000 for water
works general and it has all been spent
on the Nuuanu dam and the pipes lead
ing down to the city.
"Of course this matter will all have
to be threshed out in the House again,
but I wanted to say something now,
while l felt hot about it,
Sheldon said the message was no re-
ply to the question why the loan APP
preparation money was not spent. "This
seems to be an evasion of that ques-
ton and I will await the answer of
the Governor, he concluded.
RICE PRESENTS THE BILL.
The Governors bill was then pre-
scented by Rice, an unwilling foster
parent who wanted to get the matter
into the open where he could legtti-
mately throttle it.
THE REPORT OF 1905.
Rice produced later copy of the re-
port of the Committee of Public Lands
and Internal Improvements of the last
Legislature on Lilikalani's resolution
to appropriate $4,000 for increasing
the storage capacity for water in Nuu-
anu valley. The report tabled the
resolution, as $4,000 was already avail
able for the construction of a CON
crete bottomed or other suitable and
safe reservoir in Nuuanu valley"
Il he report concluded:
Therefore this committee recon-
mends that no money be appropriated
for increasing the storage capacity of
water in Nuuanu valley"
Rice promises TO ask some pertinent
questions about the actions of the
Executive and the Superintendent of
Public Works in the dam matter.
LAND QUESTIONS.
The complaints and inquiries of GER
tain homesteaders at Kalaoa, North
kona, and the Kaihenui Settlement
Association We're dealt with in reports
from the Public Lands committee.
The committee found that the status
of the homesteaders at Kalaoa was
being investigated by the Land Com
missioner and If the investigation
showed the fulfillment of the condi-
tons of their agreement the changes
they request will be made.
The settlement association had asked
the Legislature to thoroughly look into
the status relative TO the condition of
Leases. The Commissioner of Public
Lands and G. II. Williams, the sub
agent of the first district, representing
the government, and Senator J. T.
Brown and Norman X. Lyman, repre-
senting the holders of lots in the as
ISOLATION land tract, were examined
before the committee. but as the mat
ter was at the present time in the
courts, the committee gave no opinion
as to the findings of their investiga-
ton. The report contains this clause:
The provisions of the Organic Act
in relation TO the Public Lands sim
ply places them under the care and
custody OF the Territory. The owner
ship thereof is in the United States
and Congress has provided by Section
70 of said Act, that the laws OF Ha-
wall relating 10 public lands are con-
tinued in force until Congress shall
otherwise provide. AS to the public
lands therefore, there is no power In the
local Legislature to amend or alter.
This being the case, 1t places the full
authority OF all public land matters
In the Territory In the hands OF the
Governor and the Commissioner OF
Public Lands. Notwithstanding this
authority granted them by law they
are endeayoring TO do everything In