The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-04-16


two days March IS and 25, before the
House Committee on the Territories,
Washington, d. c. Following is the
report:
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of the
committee, l desire to speak in refer
ence to H. R. 1854, in regard to sala-
ries of officials and judges in Hawaii.
Very soon after the organic act became
| effective in Hawaii it was seen from
the operation of the law that there
would be some difficulty, on account OF
the inadequacy of the salaries, in Sc
curing and retaining the services of the
| class of men we desired to have to oc-
cupy some of the Offices in the Terri
tory. This has been particularly the
case in reference to the judges, not
thatwe have not had strong men on the
bench continuously, but there has been
difficulty in some cases in keeping
them because the salaries were so in
adequate they could not afford to re-
tain places on the bench.
This bill provides for amendment to
section go, increasing the salaries of
the governor and the secretary of the
Territory, the justices of the supreme
court, the judges of the circuit court,
the Federal judge, and the United
States marshal l would like to take
up first the question of the salary OF
the governor of the Territory
l think most of the members of the
committee must appreciate the fact
that the governor of Hawaii occupies a
very different position from that of the
governors of the other Territories, due
to the international location of Ha-
wall and the number of foreign dlplo-
mats and representatives frequently
passing through the Territory, requir-
ing a certain amount of state functions
and entertainments, which of course is
not called for in the case of the other
Territories. This has been proven tC
be rather formidable matter.
l have it on the authority of some
business men that Governor Carter ha!
expended somewhere between $4,000
and $4,000 a year of his own money
in addition to his salary during thu
time he occupied the governorship
This was not spent to provide an elab
crate system of local entertaining, bu
much of it went for the entertainment
of foreign visitors and Government OF
ficials going and coming through Ho
nolulu.
l remember that when the japanese
prince came over to this country thu
Secretary of State cabled to the gov
ernor and asked that the prince be en-
tertained in a manner BETTING hi
high station. Governor Carter proceed
ed to do it entirely out of his owl
pocket, because no fund was providet
t by the Federal Government and tn
t Federal Government never reimburse
It the governor of the Territory for sh
t expenditure. And this is by no mean
r an isolated case. Extending thes
v courtesies is an international matte
II and not a Territorial matter. Mem
# bers of Congress, consular officials, an
# army and navy officers are frequen
visitors at Honolulu and this all en-
tails on the governor a considerabl
duty of entertaining. So much for tina
phase of it.
So far as the question of salaries /
concerned think it is pretty Well III
derstood that the scale of living in Ha
l. wall is very high A bookkeeper in
mercantile house would receive $4,000
year, and sometimes more than tina
That, l think, it fair index of whi
~ IiNyiFN SO A III,
there must have servants to an exteI
not required in this country, and tn
whole cost of living for rental and otl
er items makes the expense high;
that salaries on the mainland are maj
ifestly not fair criterion for those
Hawaii. This fact is recognized
case of the military and naval office
in Hawaii and the Philippines. The
are given a special allowance, al
, very justly so.
Now, / wish to call attention to II
fact that this matter of salary HI
r. been a subject of recommendation /
former Governors Dole and Carter, Il
N. first two governors of the Territor
so that it does not come as a ne
proposition at the present time.
l would like to call attention to Il
salaries paid to the governors of Por
Rico and the Philippines. The COVE
nor of Porto Rico, who, think it
fair to say, does not have any mo
important duties than does the COVE
nor of Hawaii and who has far less
this international entertaining to q
receives a salary of $4,000 per annu
and in addition has a governors hou
and establishment paid by the Cover
ment. His salary is equivalent to 81
mr. 900 per year. In the case of the go
ernor of the Philippines, he receives
salary of $2O,5OO per year, but he h
much entertaining to do.
,rd Mr.. Brick. What do you think t
salary of the governor of Hawaii Dug
li1 to , be- ,,,c,.,,.n That on..t,oD IL.