The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-02-05
LEC|SLA TIVE
EXPENSE
MONEY

nolulu to be apportioned out for the
various expenses of the Legislature.
This amount, the first instalment Of the
thirty thousand voted by Congress, will
be in the hands Of the disbursing agent,
Secretary Mott.Smith, by the time the
Legislature comes to order week from
next Wednesday. Along with the re-
quest for the money has gone the bond
of the secretary for $4,000, the figure
of the bond being the limit of the
amount that the Secretary can have on
hand at one time. Just as soon as half
the first amount is spent, the other ten
thousand will be sent for.
This session there will be no strings
on this Congressional vote. AS mat.
ter of fact, according to the secretary Is
constituting of the law, there were NO
strings on the amount voted for the
Legislative expenses of the last session,
and while it showed good and proper
spirit for the members of the last
House and Senate not to draw down
any pay for an extra session, this was
quite unnecessary. They couldn't have
drawn any pay in any event, whether
they held extra sessions or not and
wanted pay for it or not. According
TO Mr. ott-Smith, the proviso attach
ed to the appropriation is not proviso
at all, but an amendment to the Organic
Act WHICH does away altogether with
Last session the members all had vir
tuous feeling that they had saved the
Territory thirty thousand dollars, while
Secretary A. L. G. Atkinson worried
along through the session under the ap
prehension that there would be a slip
up, that an extra session would be nee
essary, and that there would be a de-
mand for seasonal indemnity, which, as
the law was then understood, would
void the Congressional appropriation
make all the expenditures under it il
legal, and leave Jack hung up to ar
range with his bondsmen.
Under the present understanding OF
the law, the matter of payment for ex
, ira sessions of the Legislature is set
tied by an amendment to the Organic
Act, the proviso of the appropriation
having that effect. Hereafter, then
there isn't any extra session pay.
The Congressional appropriation made
this year differs from that made in
1906, inasmuch as three items covered
in this appropriation were not included
last session. The three items are to
provide for typewriters, electric light
and ianitors. This last will be q
pleasant surprise for some, because last
session the extra ps of janltors
engaged had to be about wiped out
Being janitor during the session is one
of the plums assiduously worked after
by quite a number of citizens, and now
the way is open for them to get on the
Federal payroll and keep some money
in Hawaii.
81 do not intend to ask the Legisla-
ture for any assurances that they will
complete their appropriation measures
during the life of the regular sixty.
day session. says Secretary Mott
Smith "That is something that is en-
.tirely in their own hands. 1t is up to
them to get through with the business
or not. If they don't, however, there
is no extra pay coming There is nc
provision for their pay in the thirty
thousand appropriated at Washington
while the amendment to the Organic
Act, attached to the appropriation
item, makes it illegal to allow any ex.
ha sol
treasury.
"The appropriation will probably be
apportioned as it was at the last SEES.
sion-twenty thousand for the House,
ten thousand for the Senate 1t is up
TO the members to carry out the policy
of economy they may determine on
The matter of no pay for extra ses-
sions was a recommendation made to
the Treasury Department by Governor
George r. Carter, who wrote when sub
uniting his yearly estimates in 1905
that by doing away with extra session
pay there would be no excuse on the
part of the Legislature for having any
extra sessions. The recommendation
was adopted, the appropriation being
followed by "Ppovided" clause, this
being that there should be no payment
Ior htrNlceS lot Legislators uuuef sec
ton "a of the Organic Act. The same
proviso goes in with the present APP
preparation, but it is taken now as hav-
ing no reference to the appro priation
itself, which is not intended to cover
any payment to Legislators, but is Iuled
to apply directly as an amendment to
the section of the Organic Act referred
to. The right of Congress to amend in
this or any other way desired is con-
ceded, although the Territorial Legis-
latpre could not tack an amendment of
this nature, applying to other statutes,
on its appropriation bill.
The Congressional approp riaticn, this
session, is to cover the expenses of fur
niture, files, telephone, stationery,
record castings and files, printing and
binding, index records, postage, ice,
water, clerk hire, mileage of members,
incidentals, pay of chaplain, clerk, ser
geant-at-arms, stenographer, typewrit-
ers, janitors and messenger
1t was in view o. the fact that extra
session pay WAS thing of the past,
partly, that Governor Frear has recom-
manded tho iucraaca in tha aaaeinnal In.