The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-01-30

graTate
However cut on the farms AMI /,
: the mills and factories there is IittI
sympathy with such a progressive
measure and it stands Slight show 70
the, present. There is no other question
in connection with government whicl
50 many. people have emphatic idea
about or which they know 50 littl
about. Senator's and members are yer!
tiaid. They do not like TO vote 70,
a bill that might be understood only
with difficulty by their constituent
and which might be easily used as
weapon Of criticism against Congress
men seeking reelection. The discipIin,
1 with which the Republicans are ex
4 peeted TO vote. viii also help out il
the rural districts The Presiden
approves of the bill. the Senate leader:
approve Of il, Speaker. Cannon ap-
/ proves of it. What matter that tbs
! President is satisfied the bill is made
quate or that it has to be favored
I simply because IT is as much as Con.
gress can be persuaded to pass? That
will not have TO go into the explana-
ton that Mr.. Congressman makes tc
his constituents. The shorter explana-
ton will be more forcibIe, for one rea-
! son because it is briefer.
There is room yet for the AIdrich
j bill to become a burning political cues
/ ton, however. Some of the Western
men are very bitter about it. Some OF
| them. Republicans, too, want some
guarantee of government deposits,
which. although a Bryan recommends
! ton and therefore to be Stunned ac-
J =
| has been accepted in some western
states for their state banks But the
Senate Finance Committee has set its
face stoutly against any such Iegisla-
ton. The claims that it would 90 far
to sustain the confidence Of depositors
and that it could be operated at a
minimum tax upon banks is pooh pooh
ed. The Central bank of issue also has
many friends, who have observed its
workings in other countries but it
could not be adopted without overturn-
ing the present banking system and
therefore can rot be considered.
IF the Aldrich bill provokes such
criticism in the western states as to
become a political issue, whether or
not IT be a sound measure, Congress
will probably pause about passing 1t
and making it a law. Should the west
become convinced that New York
bankers will be the chief beneficiaries.
and as has been charged and dangers
of detection among voters should loom
ahead, the discipline among Repub-
licans might not suffice TO assure the
measure a majority.
Thus far the Democrats have out
lined no policy Of opposition They
seem to be very much divided among
themselves and have not even decided
whether they will oppose the bill
aggressively
Next to currency Congress has Navy
on the brain. There has been no Navy
legislation in either Congressional
branch but there has been a lot of
agitation and something viii be doing
before many days go by. This week
the Senate navy committee is buckling
on armor and preparing for warfare
against the Navy Department. The
House Navy Committee is also of an
inquiring turn of mind. It voted a
few days ago 10 ask the Secretary of
the Navy for all the correspondence
that led up to the assignment of Sur
geon Stokes 10 command the Hospital
Ship Relief. which includes the cor
respondenee bearing upon the resigna-
ton of Admiral Brownson, as chies of
the Bureau of Navigation.
The arrangements are pretty well
perfected for a thorough investigation
during the winter of Navy admins
tration. Of the bureau system and of
charges that there are defects in the
construction of our battleships SEN
ator Hale. chairman OF the Naval Com
gnittee at his end of the Capitol. start
ed the ball a rolling a few days ago
by offering a bill TO reorganize the
Navy in many important particulars.
He struck at the bureau system by
requiring the business Of the depart
ment TO be done through its bureau
and not through permanent boards. re-
ports to be made to the Secretary Of
the Navy about all business. He
would provide that only line officers
shall exercise command over any yes
sci Of the navy. which provision. if /
1t became law. would compel Surgeon
Stokes 10 relinquish his command of
the Hospital Ship Relief. But Senator /
Hale's bin would also give the staff
officers Of the Navy full rank and /
titles, where now they have only rela-
tive rank and are not allowed 10 use
titles He also provides that only
graduates Of the Academy
at Anna polis shall be commissioned /
after a few years, because it is claim |
ad the academy is graduating more |
young men at a cost of S25. 900 each for |
their education, than II can use in /
offering the ships. His bill also /
would give the officers an increase Of /
twenty per cent in their pay and the +
enlisted men an increase of forty. per
rent
This bill, with its numerous import /
ant provisions, has set the Navy fac
tons by the ears and ali Congress is /
n a hubbub over it. Following thu in +
PRODUCTION Of the bin. there was a de-
bate in which Mr. Hale. answering /
questions by Senator TtIIman, Of South /
rarolina. explatned is purposes fully. /
During the discussion it was brought i
1ut that the committee was to make /
an exhaustive investigation Of prac- /
-ically every controversy now rendIng /
he naval esta Enlistment. This investi- +
cation is 10 be begun forthwith and +
Senator Hale. has said that he expected /
I VIII last through much Of the winter.
Hints have come from the Waite /