The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-11
THE QUESTION OF
DUAL LANGUAGE
How Legislature Will Be Able
TO Handle the Federal
Appropriation.

Editor Advertiser: There ought to be
no difficulty about securing the Fed
eral appropriation Of $4,000 for legis-
lative expenses, outside of compliance
by the Legislature with the time limit
of sixty DAYS. without embarrassing
Secretary Atkinson relative to his bond.
The two houses can, Immediately on
organizing. appoint a joint committee
20 apportion the 1000 between them.
Then. in their respective appropriation
bills for legislative expenses, the
houses can each make one item con-
form to the Federal appropriation act
by naming the objects therein express
ed. namely: Furniture, light, station
cry. record castings and files, printing
and binding. indexing records, postage,
ice. water. clerk hire. mileage of mem
bers. incidentals, pay of chaplain, clerk,
sergeant-at-arms, stenographers and
messengers" with the amount agreed
upon for the particular house.
Then. If the Legislature is legally
advised that Interpretation, translation
and Hawaiian printing are not admis-
sible under any of the subjects named,
another item could be inserted, payable
from the current revenue of the Terri
tory. 10 cover such services. The item
covering the Federal grant could De
voted as payable likewise from the
Territorial treasury, with a clause au-
thorizing the Treasurer to draw upon
the Secretary of the Territory for the
amount not sooner than one day after
the LEGISLATURE had adjourned without
leaving a necessity for being called IN
extra session.
Whatever may be said about the de-
STABILITY of having but one language
in legislation-in the interests of econ
orny of time and expense and of the
quality of legislation-as matter OF
policy the time for making the change
is inopportune. 1t is bound to come
eventually. but it will come only py
educational evolution. No doubt any
party that forced the issue now would
be swept clean off the boards at next
election. The sacrifice would be TOO
great 10 have all the important con-
Germs of the Territory overwhelmed py
that issue.
AS the issue has been evaded now
for the first three Legislatures, despite
a strong legal impression that the Or
ganic Act does not justify dual IAN
guage proceedings, the precedent may
almost be taken to have attained the
oualitv of a contract with the native
Hawaiians. There is nothing, bar only
religion. on which national sensitive
ness is more acute than with regard to
the issue of language wherever conces-
sion has once been made. a contempt
rary instance has just been displayed
in the bitter philippe addressed oy
Sienkiewicz to Emperor William, up
braiding him for breach of the Language
stipulation made sacredly to the people
of Poland in Germany.
There would seem TO be necessity OF
appropriating money outside OF the
Congressional grant OF $4,000 anyway
as il does not provide for the sessiona
indemnity of $500 to each member whicf
the Organic Act authorizes. AS to tne
liability of graft. that evil was dis
tinctly reduced. il not practically OBJ
liberated, at last session. There were
warning examples of peril in the prac'
tise from the successful prosecution
of offenders at former sessions, but
without that lettering influence m
doubt the Legislature of 1905 was les:
amenabIe TO drifting in that direction
than preceding ones. 1t is to be hoped
that the Legislature of 1907 will o.
still more proof against Interior ex
ploitation. At all events. it will know
it is watched and it ought to be trust
ed, for the known towers of integrit!
il will contain, TO be both honest ant
economical in providing for its ex
penses. CITIZEN.
Honolulu, January 9, 1906.