The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-16
BILL MAY YET
BECOME A LAW
Continued from Page One


pressed the necessity Of it upon Score
tary Straus and Secretary Garfield so
insistently: had aroused the interest Of
the President in it and secured his rec.
ommendation IN his message: we had
pressed the matter upon the attention
of the Congressman who had visited
here, letting them go away under the
impression that that was above all
things the thing we wanted, while we
had made such successful campaign
through the Delegate and Mr.. McClel.
Ian that the big steamship companies
were not opposing us and many of the
Congressman, personally interested in
the operation of the Coastwise Law.
were among those actually helping us.
seeing the Justice of our contention
and were among the staunchest of our
friends. Then came the cables. an
nouneing that the people here. in the
interest of one firm. had decided to
reverse their position. It gave the i'm
preston in Washington that the people
of Hawaii didn t know what they did
want. The campaign had been made
and won-and then called off It plac-
ed the Delegate, who had worked hard
for the measure, in very queer posi-
ton.
tWhat made it worse was that the
people here cabled to Others besides
him without letting him know it, the
consequence being that the bill was
referred back to committee several
hours before the centradicting cables
came. Then it was too late to do any
thing at that time. The mischief then
had been largely done and the Delegate
was placed in the position of man
advocating something that others
thought the people here did not want.
Such things will tend to lessen Kuhio's
influence and standing in the eyes OF
his friends, an unjust thing to him for
he has always tried to do what he knew
the people here wanted him to do
~ think the tide of travel is going
to increase this way very rapidly. The
extensive military and naval program
adopted viii mean that large number
of naval and military officers viii be
coming who cannot be accommodated
on the transports, or who will not want
to wait for the sailing of the transports.
These will take up large share Of the
accommodations on the regular liners,
while others, attracted by the naval and
military activities in Oahu, will also
come this way. Besides these there will
be a large number of artisans. mechanics
and others coming, so that even another
steamer on the run will not be able to
handle the increased passenger demand.
In year or two, even with another
passenger steamer on the run, the con.
gestion viii be greater than it has ever
been.
''All that is wanted is let-up in the
restrictions on the passenger traffic.
There is no request for freight privi1-
eyes or even for privileges on perish
able fruits, although we need that bad
lly. It seems to me that the interests
of the whole Territory should not be
sacrificed for the interests of one steam
ship line, especially in a matter of pas
sengers, in which that line is interested
so slightly. Ny own private opinion is
that the suspension of the passenger
restrictions would so increase travel all
around that all the lines would benefit.
Growing Interest in Hawaii.
Everywhere 7 went I found a grow
| ing interest in Hawaii and things Ha.
| waiian, due in part to the great ac-
tivities planned at Pearl Harbor and
| for the military protection of the Is
| lands. Soon after I arrived at Wash
| ington, Secretary Garfield gave a dim
ner for the purpose of bringing together
| the governors of the different terri
| tories and the heads of the various de-
partments and bureaus having to do
with territorial affairs. This was an i'm
portant gathering and the discussion of
the various territorial questions lasted
| for four hours. A great share of the
discussion had to do with Hawaii and
the interest in this Territory seemed to
be great Among those at the dinner
were the head of the Geological Survey
work. the Chief photographer, the Chief
of the Geology Department. the Chief
Geographer, chiefs of the Reclamation
Service and others.
Chief photographer Coming.
81 discussed with these gentlemen
the question of a photographic survey
of the Islands, and steps have been
| taken to inaugurate the survey in a
way to get around the continued ruling
of the Comptroller of the Treasury that
no part of the appropriation is legally
applicable to Hawaiian work. It il
probable however, that the Chief
photographer viii come here in person
to start work on the survey, this being
done theoretically for the benefit of fh'
office at Washington, for the prepare
ton of statistics for use there in th'
matter of comparisons. The results 81
far as Hawaii is concerned will be jus
the same as if the work was being
done primarily for the benefit of Ha
wall This matter will go on in TIL
same way as the matter of the inves
tigation into leprosv outside of TIL
leprosarium on Molokai, the idea beins
that the work is being done to assis
in the work here. The Chief Hydro
grapher will come here as soon as h
can, but the date has not been set. Il
the meanwhile the Superintendent o
| Public Works is getting up as mucl
| data as IS on hand in order thai n
! time may be lost.
| Reclamation Work Coming
| "This work will all be preparator,
| to the starting of reclamation worl
I here, much photographed and topo
| graphical work having necessarily to b