The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-11-05


is simply to settle the question so that
there shall not be any confusion
At the conclusion of the Governor s
explanation of section 5, Castro suggest
ed that Governor Frear GO ahead and
give the members any information he
might think wise on all other sections.
Coney obiected-couldn t see any use
in tit was not necessary.
Chairman Cohen said the Governor
had explained section FIVE, which was
the only one that was a little ambigu
Gus, but if any member wished any
explanation on anything else, the Gov
ernor would be glad to give his views.
The Question of Pay.
Coney wanted to know what was the
Governor s attitude on raising the pay
of legislators to 5000.
The Governor said that during the
first few years of the Territory there
was always an extra session immediate.
ly following the regular session, but
since congress had provided that there
should be no extra pay for an extra
session, there had been no extra ses-
sions. How congress would look upon
raising the pay of Legislators he did
full if congress would want to raise the
pay above $600-to $1,000 for instance.
Sheldon wanted to know how it would
be if they changed the time of the
regular session from go to 80 days.
Same Old Ghost.
And then he raised the ancient ghost
of the annual session-would congress
consent to annual sessions of the legis-
| laturel And Holstein looked embar-
rassed.
The Governor thought that on occa-
| sion congress might consent to an ex-
| tension of the regular session to ninety
days. But the tendency on the main
land is TO make the sessions more infre-
quent and to make them shorter. For
instance, in several States, the regular
session has been reduced to forty days.
How congress would look upon more
frequent or longer sessions he couldn t
say.
Nothing else was wanted from the
Governor for the time being and he was
excused.
Coney moved that section five pass
as in the bill. Carried unanimously.
Nawahine and Graft.
Section 2 of the bill, amending sec.
tion 26 of the Organic Act by raising
the pay of legislators to 5000 was TAX
en- up. Nawahine moved promptly to
change the 5000 to $1,000.
Sheldon thought that pretty deli
cate subject, and asked Delegate Ku
| hio to express his views on the matter.
The delegate sidestepped and said
nothing.
Alfonso expressed the fear that Ma.
| wahine was too modest, and moved the,
| amendment be tabled. He was re-
| minded that no motion had been made
Long moved the section pass as read
Sheldon moved to amend to make the
pay of legislators $1,000 in place of 5000
as in the bill. He made an apparently
eloquent speech in Hawaiian, in the
usual Sheldon manner, which, however,
was lost to those who understood only
English-supposedly, but only sup
posedly, the official language of Ha-
wall.
The interpreter, however, gave an
abstract of it, saying the gentleman
! from Kauai felt no shame in asking
| $1,000. He had proposed the same
amendment at the regular session and
| =,
but the gentleman from Kauai was still
unashamed.
Nawahine delivered himself of few
remarks, apropos of nothing in partic-
ular. However, he was convinced that
the legislative body is the supreme
body; the judicial body could not exist
without the legislative body to make
laws for it to handle, and yet the
Judges are getting bigger pay than the
legislators. Now, if the pay of legis-
lators were raised to what it should
| be, it would not be necessary for the
solons to resort to graft to make a
living. But the pay of legislators is
now so small as to encourage grating.
Besides, member of the legislature
can not hold another territorial job
| and so he can not make more than $400
in two years. Nawahine stuck out for
$1,000; he thought he was worth it.
5000 Enough.
Castro contended that the Govern
or's conference in fixing the figure at
5000 took into consideration the com
pensation received by legislators on
the mainland. "Would it be proper TO
ask congress to increase our pay he.
yond that received by legislators on
the mainlanda / say no."
Castro read some figures, showing
that the members of the territorial leg
islature, if they get 5000, will be re-
ceiving as much as most mainland leg
islators. If they asked for more than
5000, they were liable to get no in
crease at all. In the legislature of
1907 a resolution was introduced to
ask congress to raise the pay of legis.
lators to $1,000, but it failed to pass,
because the house considered that con.
gress might think it a piece of audaci,
ty for the legislature to ask more pay
than the legislators of mainland
States.
Oratory Squelched.
Sheldon was on his feet with his
hand extended, ready to burst into ora
, tory, when Rice stepped in and moved
that the committee of the whole rise
and report progress and ask leave tc
sit again. The motion carried and the
| committee rose. The Speaker called the
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