The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-16
HOUSE REFUSES GRANT
To AID IN PROMOTION
COMMITTEE CAMPAIGN
Direct Primary Bill Is
Considered by the.
Senate---WhitneyE x-
plains It.

The Territorial Senate was an active
body yesterday and after it had given
its final Endorsement to number of
measures at the morning session, it con-
ssldered the direct primary bill in the
afternoon, sitting as committee of the
whole.
It became plainly evident that there
is q wide difference Of opinion among
the members Of the Senate as to the
efficacy of the direct primary as a cure
all for the ills of the body polite. SEN
ator w. @. Smith and Senator Fairchild
criticized the provisions of the direct
nomination measure introduced by Sen
ator Ghillingworth and stated with en-
phasis that, in their opinion, the opera
tion of direct primary law as present
ed would result in strengthening the
arms of the organization = instead of
assuring the triumph of the will of the
majority.
Senator Smith said that he did not
oppose the principle of the direct pri-
mary, but that he did not indorse the
bill as presented to the consideration of
the Senate; that, instead of having rem
edies for the troubles of discovering and
following out the will of the people, it
provided apparent ways In which it
could be used to initiate against the
general welfare of the people.
Deputy Attorney General Whitney,
who drew up the bin introduced by SEN
.ator GhillingWorth, appeared before the
committee, as the interpreter of its pro-
Ts 4
resented by Ex-senator Dickey and the
Rev DR. Doremus Seudder. John En-
meluth was also invited to participate
in the discussion.
The nature of the questions that were
propounded to Mr.. Whitney indicated
that the majority of the upper house of
the Legislature view direct primary
law with something akin to suspicion.
Senator Fairehild of Kauai thought that
the application of the provision that
makes it imperative for a voter to de-
clare party allegiance would be playing
right into the hands Of the smaehine;'
he added, however, If all machines were
as good as the one they had on Kauai
. that it would be all right.
Senate Routine.
Three members of the upper house
were not in their seats when the Sen.
ate convened for the twenty-second
day of its session yesterday morning,
the absent ones being Senators Kala-
ma, Woods and Robinson.
A reply was received from territorial
Treasurer Campbell in response to the
request of the Senate embodied in
resolution. asking that he furnish a
list of all tax delinquents and an ex-
PLANTATION of the general reasons for
the noneolleetion of taxes due and
owing to the Territory.
Treasurer Campbell s reply to the re-
quest of the Senate was lengthy one
and deals with the questions IN an ex-
haustive manner. Clerk Savidge had
read a portion of the letter when Sen
ator Knudsen moved that it be re-
ferred to the Printing Committee-that
1t was too long to be read IN It's en-
tirety and could be more intetllgently
considered when each Senator was pro-
yided with copy. The action sug-
gested by Senator Knudsen was taken
Validating Bill.
The judiciary Committee submitted
a favorable report on Senate Bill No.
81, an act to provide for validating
all incorporation under charters grant
ed by the Treasurer of the Territory
<twith the consent of the Governor, or
by the predecessors in office.
In. the language of the committee
report, the object Of the bill IS to
s.validate the railroads whose charters
have been made invalid by the decision
of the Supreme Court in re Pearl Har-
boz. Traction Company
The Judiciary Committee Endorsed
the measure with the minor exception
of the preamble which, it suggested,
should be stricken out. The report was
laid on the table, to come up for con.
sideration with the bill on the order OF
the day.
The select committee on election
laws, to which was referred Senate
Bill No. s, the direct primary measure
introduced by Senate Chillingworth,
presented report, stating that it had
given s.its earnest consideration to
the bill and also to a similar measure
prepared by the Civic Federation.
The report stated that Senate Bill
No. s, had been drafted by Deputy At
torney General Whitney and "your
committee feels that the information
which he has on the subject had better
be given by him to the Senate in COM
mittee of the whole. - The committee
further recommended that the Senate
sit as committee of the whole IN the
fJouttaued on Page Two.l