The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-26

cooperative work. by which settlers
upon land close to irrigation enterprises
can dig their own bitches and put water
upon the land from the government
canals. There are half dozen compli-
Gated questions growing out of these
divergent views.
Director Newell and Chief Pinchot,
who are the idols of the westerners,
sympathize with the more radical group.
They are very efficient men and may
be able to adjust their administrative
work to the new requirements. That.
OF course, is necessary if they are 10
retain office. But deal of friction
seems assured over this western ques-
ton, which, while of small interest to
the East, is really of great magnitude
and vital Importance in many western
states.
A Statehood Program.
Not the least noteworthy develop
ment in national affairs of recent DAYS
has been the President IS declaration
for flag of forty-eight stars and a
compact mainland of states over all
Federal territory this side of Alaska.
He bases this declaration of definite
statehood program for his administers
ton upon the fact that "the platform
promised it,
Of course statehood fights in behalf
or Arizona and New Mexico are moth
ing particularly new in Congress.
Every year or two since Roosevelt en-
tered the White House, Arizona and
N ew Mexico have clamored for admis-
sion into the Union. Bills have pass
ed the House two or three times in
that period but the barrier has been
in the Senate. A law, authorizing joint
statehood, was enacted some three OF
four years ago, conditioned upon its
acceptance at a plebiscite. Arizona
rejected the proposition by big vote
and since then little has been heard
of joint statehood.
But now that the President has an
nounced his position the lines will
form for another statehood fight in the
Senate next winter. The bill will prob
ably pass the House without much de
lay. There. is no particular objection
there to statehood. It would mean ar
additional member from Arizona ant
an additional member from New Mex
leo. In the Senate, on the other hand
the obstacles are more formidable anG
it is serious question whether state
hood bill can pass there till after 6
long and hard fight In all probability
some of the Republicans will become
insurgents on the question and seel
to form a coalition with the Democrat
against the regular Republicans wht
will oppose statehood.
The West is sparsely settled and IL
proportion to its population, has very
large representation in the Senate. o.
course it was intended by the framer'
of the Constitution that the small
the Senate AS the large states. Blu
New York, for instance, can not over
look the fact that her several mil
lions Of people have only two votes il
the Senate. That population IS NOR
than the population of all the main
land west of the Missouri river bu
that same section of the country ha
about twenty votes in the Senate. Ari
iona and New Mexico as states vii
augment this preponderance of West
ern inuenee in the upper Legislative
branch. Arizona probably would SEM
two Democratic senators and New Mex
leo two Republican senators although
the possibility of four Democratic sen
ators is recognized. That makes an OBJ
lection from the Republican standpoint
Then the larger the Senate becomes
the more difficult it is TO control ant
the more insecure the position of Thu
leaders. who are all Eastern men, be
comes. The Western senators are
sectional in their views as the Eastern
senators or the Southern senators. Jus
now the Westerners are fond of fierce
warfare upon the Eastern senators, who
they claim. have been unduly favored
in legislation. The advent of fou
senators from the Southwest whethe
thew should be Democrats or Repub
Leans or evenly divided, bodies i'll fo
the balance of power as now wleide'
in the Senate.
The Committee on Territories, o.
which Senator Beverage, of Indiana
is chairman. is hostile to statehood. 1t
members are moved by the reasons Civ
en- and also by other reasons. Their
are peculiar corporation conditions tina
enter into the situation A new argu
ment against statehood, from the view
point of the East, is the proposed IN
come tax amendment to the Constltu
tion. That has now been launched b.
the required votes of both branches o
Congress and it remains for three
fourths of the legislatures of tn
states 10 say whether the amendmen
shall be Incorporated into the constitu
| ton.
When Congress enacted an inherit
anee tax for the Spanish War period
about nine-tenths of the tax was col
lected in New England, New YorE
PENNSYLVANIA and New Jersey, strang
as that statement may seem. If an II