The Hawaiian gazette., 1907-01-11
THE QUESTION OF
DUAL LANGUAGE

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
to apportion the 100000 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, to cover such services. The item
covering the Federal grant could be
voted as payable likewise from the
Territorial treasury, with 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
omy 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 1t will come only by
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 20 have all the important con-
Germs of the Territory overwhelmed by
that issue.
AS the issue has been evaded now
for the first three Legislatures, despite
strong legal impression that the Or
ganic Act does not justify dual Ian
gue ge proceedings, the precedent may
almost be taken to have attained the
quality 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 contempo-
rary instance has just been displayed
in the bitter philippe addressed by
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 100000 anyway,
as it does net provide for the seasonal
indemnity of $500 to each member which
the Organic Act authorizes. AS to the
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 prosecutions
of offenders at former sessions, but
without that deterring influence no
doubt the Legislature of 1905 was less
amenable to drifting in that direction
than preceding ones. 1t is to be hoped
that the Legislature of 1907 Will be
still more proof against Interior eN-
ploitation. At ell events, it will know
1t is watched and it ought to be trust
ed, for the known towers of integrity
it will contain, to be both honest and
economical in providing for its ex-
penses. CITIZEN.
Honolulu, January 9, 1906.