The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-02-12
WHISKY
AND WATER
Central Committee on
WaterWOrks and
Saloons.

''The worst blow to county gov
ernment given since the. passage of
the County Act was the reputation
by the Hawaii supervisors of their con-
tract with the Honolulu Iron Works.
If our supervisors show no more sense
of responsibility than that and no more
business Judgment it will induce Con-
gress to think that we are incapable,
of larger powers and they will be care
full about granting US any. That ac-
tion of the Hawaii board will do more
to hurt county government than any
one thing that has been done.o Such
was the opinion of Senator w. O.
Smith, given at the meeting of the Ter
ritorial Central Republican Committee
last night, during discussion of the
water works question. 1t came about
through the suggestion that joint
resolution be passed by the Legislature
asking Congress to vest the title to
the public lands and the public prop
erty back TO the Territory in order
that the counties might be able to ac
quire the water works systems.
The subcommittee on legislation had
brought in draft bill which the chair
man refused to father dealing with
the turning of the water works over to
the counties if the counties voted a
desire to have them. W. 0. Smith, who
had helped draft the bill, explained the
difficulties encountered in it. First, the
Territory could not give the counties
anything more than the right to use
the systems, the control to remain al
ways in the Territory with the Super
intendent of Public Works having the
veto power over any big extensions.
Mr.. Ballentyne said he didn It like the
bill or measure at all and advised the
committee to drop the whole thing.
: w. r. Harrington thought the bill
was all right and approved the senti- |
ment back of it. If the water works
of Oahu were $6S,000 in the hole it |
was because of bad management. He
thought businesslike administration |
could make the system pay. If neces |
sary double the water rates and bring |
them up as high as the average rate |
on the mainland. Talking about the
title of these things he concluded,
" we know we are all paying taxes on
them. even if no one knows who owns
them,'' The speaker then secuted the t
idea of Uncle Sam refusing to give the
Territory the title to whatever it ask
ed for.
This brought about review of Ha-
waiian history by Senator Smith, who
reminded Harrington of the fact that
Congress had already refused the title
ON the start and was watching Hawaii
to see if the people here were to be
trusted, finishing up with his scathing
remark concerning the lawmakers of
the county of Hawaii
The water works bill was finally
tabled for further consideration, it
being decided not to give it to the
press in its present shape lest there
might be misunderstanding about it
among the public.
PRIMARY BILL ADOPTED.
The draft Primary bill, which had
been previously presented, was formal
v adopted by the committee and turn
ID over to the tender mercies of the
legislators.
AFTER the motion had carried John
Hughes rose to lerlark that the pro- ]
posed measure did not go far enough.
lie thought that there should be
.lause somewhere binding the Repub-
lean legislature to pass it. He was !
Is sure that the drafting committee
lad done their best by the bill and
Icted properly as he was sure that {
he figures sent down from the Depart
nent of Public Works regarding the
vater works were improper.
An ANALYSIS of these figures by Mr.. i
Sallentyne showed that outside of the /
Expense of construction and extension c
he revenue practically equalled the q
unning expenses.
HIGH LICENSE THE REMEDY.
The draft of a liquor law was then )
resented, Smith explaining that 1t was
ased on the present law with some n
hanges suggested by the Anti-Saloon p
eague and by the liquor dealers.
The main points as given by Mr.. Bal h
,ntyne were: il
Four classes of licenses, the first two L
pr manufacturers who were prohibit %
I from selling for consumption on @
leir premises. with an annual fee of
!. the third TOR wholesalers limited to a
uantities over five gallons, with a s.
cense fee of $1,000 a year. and the s,
,urth for retailers of any kind with
fee of $1,000 a year.
Persons convicted of crimes, inciud-
g gambling, to be barred from re-
living a license, as well as employees
, criminals or gamblers. ST
No license to be granted for prem IL
es within 4Uv feet of church or fc
hOOl. OF
Licenses to be issued only to owners H
real estate of the value of at least d,
900. Il
Applicants for licenses to secure the p'
ritten consent of the majority of land st
vners within 1000 feet of the di
emises. iu
Continued on Page Four.) tt