The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-04-09


police Doufi receipts. sDft fad b sa0.
UHI tIHr nn special arlu ef fhe laN
after ibr noon ftorss ani mf nn ihn
nH fur ilifl feaInn tuins Ihf lills
were NOS hcld fuf ihs rfihtef lui iYpo
! written fn satf time.
Argument on Douthit, Report
sheldon ihon rose 10 state be- ftasans
/ fuf refusing to cournf IN The Judiciary
Committee 4 report Go table Annhso p
bn restricting ihc Atiefncy Ooneul
/ County Attorney SHERIFF. and Maris
irn.es and their deputies, from private
! legal practice
Sheldon stated that he ava not con
eur because the bin on the whole h
proper one The section dealing with
| the district magistrates might have
been struck out, but the bill itself
! should pass. in this view be was sup
ported by the bar Association, a letter
from committee Of that body having
been sent 10 that effect 30 the judi
ciary Committee. lie believed an elect
ed prosecutor should do no civil business
because his position otherwise brought
him ~ much business that his public
duties were neglected.
Public officials, too, employed the
public paid stenographer and clerk IN
their own private work, used govern
ment stationery. government Offices and
government time To carry on private
practise and il was unfair for them
10 have these advantages over other
lawyers. II happens, too, that county
Attorneys, from their very position get
business brought them which they
would not get unless in such a position
and in this way the elected position
became a club with which TO get bust
ness. The Bar Association letter was
signed by 4. G. NJ. Robertson and one
other.
Conev said the Bar Association had
coupled their approval of the bill with
the proviso that bigger salaries be
paid. which shows that competent men
could not be had for the Offices unless
outside practise was allowed. He asked
If any thought it possible to get a
man like Carl Smith, as deputy county
attorney at Hilo. if the salary was
what 1t is and no other practise was
allowedi He did not explain why
Smith g salary and that if his incom-
petent chief should not be put together
and elect Smith to earn it.
"Pay them what you can and then
give them chance" said Coney.
Douthitt said that at no time while
he was Deputy Attorney General or
County Attorney did his private prac-
tise ever interfere with his public
duties in the least. He did not think
that the pencils and paper used pri.
vately from the public supplies would
bankrupt the county. The whole ques-
ton was one of competency, he said,
whether competent men could be had
for the salaries paid or not If the right
to practise were cut off competent men
could not be secured.
He asked why lawyers should be
picked out to discriminate against any
more than any other men. If the bill
be right, general bill should be pass
ed about all public officers. He failed
to point out how the lawyers who are
Judges are Disseminated against and
not allowed to practise their profession
ON the side. He said the policy of the
House was one of retrenchment. 1--WE
cannot possibly raise the salaries of
these officials now" he said, "there-
for the recommendation of the Bar AS
ISOLATION falls of its own weigh"
There was no question about the
spirit of the bill being other than good,
but the situation in Hawaii required its
tabling at this time.
Sheldon refuted some of Douthitt IS
arguments and pointed to the judges as
evidence of men who could and would
work for stated salaries. He then
pointed out how the bill had been
chloroformed until after the. appropria'
ton bill had passed in order to give the
opposition the chance to argue that nc
change in salaries could be made and
the bill was too late.
Kamahu called attention to the AID.
vertiser's exposures of the sort of pri'
vate practice being carried on by Coun'
ty Attorney Cathcart. He moved that
the report of the committee be tabled.
He thought the law would teach such
officials not to NEEDLE with pitch. He
complimented Douthitt on the fact that
his private practice had not crowded
his public duties to one side.
The motion to table the report was
lost. Single then moved to adopt the
report. stating that he agreed with the
principle of the bill but had to agree
now that the salaries paid were not
enough. He had heard from Hilo that
the bill was one to Dust Carl Smith
of Hilo.
The report was adopted and the bill
tabled.
Public Lands Reports.
The Public Lands Committee present.
ed number of reports. Recommends.
tions for the passage of Senate Joint
Resolution and for the building of a
$4,000 road for the benefit of the KaOhe
Puma, homesteaders.
A seDire Need,'