The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-04
NO TIME
TO Waste
Hughes Speaks Plainly
on Work of New
Legislature.

''It may be that I have been asleep
during the past month and don't know
what has been going on, and it may
be, too, that I have been awake and
ing on than I have been supposed to
know remarked John A. Hughes yes
terday, in reference to the interview
published in this paper with Represen-
tative-elect E. A. c. Long in which
was pointed out the work under way
in the hands of the Legislative COM
mittee of the Republican party in the
Territory.
II know that Chairman John C. Lane,
of the Central Committee had named
a committee of five, Long, Crawford
Hopkins, Macfarlane and Ballentyne,
to draft the bills promised in our plat
form. I know that that committee has
been in existence for over a month and
I also know that they have not We
begun to draft one of the measures we
have promised to give the Territory. I
also know that Mr.. Long has refused
to go into a caucus with the other
members-eleet from the Fourth and
know that he is in the councils of the
Fifth But I don't know why that is.
I know that to good many of us it
seems that there is being a lot of time
wasted somehow. The time of the
meeting of the legislature is only a few
weeks off and nothing has been done
to get our party measure into shape or
to carry out the promises we made
night after night on the stump. the
promises upon which we were elected
know that this will mean, unless there
is a very great change, that we will
meet in the legislature without know
ing exactly what we are to do and
that lot of time will be wasted in DO
ing the work we should be doing now.
Probably enough time will be thrown
away to make an extra session neces-
sary with all its attendant cost and
loss upon the Territory.
I am not regular politician and
can only look at this thing in a busi-
ness sort of way. And that way seems
to me to be like this. That we should
nave those promised measures drawn
UP as soon as possible and submitted
to the members and senators before the
session so that we will know exactly
time and will also result in getting bet
ter measures through as we will be able
to discuss everything calmly amongst
ourselves and not be obliged to de-
fend what perhaps we do not want or
do not understand. I, for one, do aot
propose to go into the legislature and
cast my vote for any measure that I
have not had an opportunity of study
ing.
.'And in drafting these measures T
think it no more than common fairness
that we should consult the business
men of the Territory 1t is to these
business men that we go for our cam
paign funds and why not, then, for ad-
vice I do not mean that we should
have the country run just as they may
say, whether or no, but to get their
practical business advice on our laws
I do not wish for minute to be
thought in opposition to the other
members of the party, but 7 do OBJ
ject strongly to what seems to be
a waste just now of valuable time. 7
agree thoroughly with Mr.. Long that
lt Is no easy matter to draft perfect
~ satisfactory and workable law, but
1t seems to me that that is all the
more reason why that work should be
gong on now. IF the task is a hard
one the longer we are at it the more
satisfactory it will be.
Now, there was to have been a
meeting of that committee on legisla-
ion last night, but it did not come off
t was postponed because there was no
Quorum. And the legislature is to meet
Within few weeks. Perhaps I am
lsleep, but the days are going past Just
Is fa1 in my dreams as they ever did
lnd hear no great racket being made
y the committee on legislation to wake
ne UP any," :.