The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-12
House Passes Special
Immigration Tax Bill
by Majority of Eight.

The administration immigrant tax
bill, introduced into the House by Cas-
tro, was passed on third reading yes
terday, after a strenuous debate which
took up the greater part of the morn
ing session and all the afternoon ses-
sion, the vote on roll-call showing a
division of nineteen for the bill to
eleven against it. Throughout, the de-
bate was of high order, and al
though feeling ran high and the mem
bers were vehement, there was moth
ing unseemly at any time, no disorder,
nor incident of rough house nature.
The speakers talked as men prepared,
and ON both sides of the question some
good arguments Were presented.
Castro, Single and Rice led the
speaking for the bill; Cohen, Kaleiopu
and Kamahu being the opposition ora
tors. Cohen IS speech was the most
rabid, his efforts being principally di
rected TO the Hawaiian members, whose
aid he endeavored to enlist by appeal
ing to their fear of being outvoted by
i the haole newcomers who would be
! brought in under the bill by the plant
ers. Cohen threw down the gage to
the planters generally.
A careful canvass of the House at
| ngon, after all the lobbyists had con-
!, Guided their work, gave the division as
eighteen to twelve. Alfonso was the
| one who switched to the majority at
| the last minute, his vote-f first kama
| lua and then aye--being surprise.
! Just before the House went into ses-
| sion in the afternoon, after the de-
| bate was practically over so far as the
! supporters of the bill were concerned,
!, Alfonso had prepared an amendment to
offer, consulting Cohen as to its ma
/ ture. This amendment was to divide
| the special tax money into two parts
one half to go to immigration and the
other half to be divided between con-
| serEation and education.
/ Before this debate there had been
another, over Kealawaa IS bill to make
Lincoln Day regular annual public
holiday. Before the bill got to the
4 NOlii2 StdSC 1t Ad0 OCCH 1o0A tin1So
amended, and three other public holt
DAYS had been tackled on.
During the debate, both Kaniho and
Like showed their teeth at the haole
/ members and insinuated that it was
| because the Hawaiians wanted to honor
/ the memory of Hawaiian king that
there was opposition to the bill pass
! ing. Sheldon, a part Hawaiian, holly
resented any references to color or
race, and made a broad-minded appeal
| to the members to forget race differ
| ences and think of the good of all the
people.
Wailuku Against Liquor Amendments.
A communication from the Wailuku
Improvement Club was the first bust
| ness taken up by the House on the
| morning of the nineteenth day. The
communication was a request that the
Legislature keep its hands off the pres
ent liquor law, as follows:
/ cat the regular meeting of the
Wailuku Improvement Association, held
| in Wailulku on the fourth day of
| March, 1909, at which meeting nine
teen members of the association were
/ present. the enclosed resolution cen
corning liquor legislation was intro
duced, discussed, and, upon vote taken,
| unanimously carried:
/ IS Resolution.
a.Be it Resolved, by the Waikiki
/ Improvement Association, That it
woald be extremely unwise, at this ses-
sion of the Territorial Legislature, to
change or alter the present liquor laws
| of the Territory of Hawaii relating to
| the manufacture and sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors; and this association does
therefore respectfully petition our Sem
ators and Representatives to use their
| efforts in continuing in force said
liquor laws without alteration or
amendment.
/ Committee Reports.
The Public Lands Committee report
ed favorably on Kealawaa's request
that 10000 be set aside to open a
| new road at Honolili guleh. South Hllo,
| recommending that this be taken up
| for insertion in the appropriation bill.
Nothing for Hanapepe.
| The petition from residents at Ha-
| napepe. asking that their landing be
fitted with g derrick and arranged SO
that freight could be landed there In
stead of at the private landing at He-
ele. was tabled the Public Lands Com
mittee stating that it would cost $4,000
/ to equip the landing with derriek
CONTINUED on rags Tyo.l