The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-20
ECONOMY IN COUNTY
Governments JOLTED
YESTERDAY IN HOUSE
Majority Pushes Grab
Bill Through House,
Giving No Reasons
---Long Makes Big
Speech Of Session.

The House outyoted one of the most
sensible reports yet presented on the
matter of amendments to the Municipal
Bill yesterday when the minority re-
port submitted by Castro and Kama
hu on the Grab Bill was turned down
in favor of the report to boost salaries
all along the line. No attempt was
made by the various speakers to meet
report, but one and all expressed sur
prise at any presentation of fact that
disapproved of boosting. There will
probably be fight against this bill
ON third reading today, but the carry.
ing of the policy of economy into coun-
ty affairs does not seem to be in favor
among the majority, especially among
the Oahu majority, ten out of the
twelve Oahu members in the House
having SO far supported the increase
in salaries.
For about an hour yesterday the Oa-
hu delegation stood together, shoulder
to shoulder, fighting the rest of the
House over the question Of amending
a bill so as to take the majority power
in the Board of Education away from
Oahu. During the course of the debate
some good speeches were made, Rice
and Sheldon leading the anti-Oahuans
and Cohen and Long putting up the big
fight for this island. Long made an
especially good showing, making a
forcible speech in the course of which
he took advantage of the opportunity
of telling the other Hawaiian members
that if they paid more attention to
having their children well educated
they would not have to fight so hard
to get them jobs as laborers. He warned
the Hawaiians that the time had come
when a man need expect no special
fayors in the way of positions in the
government any more simply because
he was a Hawaiian. Now was the
time when brains, intellect and ability
had to count and a Hawaiian could
expect to get no more than his worth
entitled him to. In many ways, the
speech of Long was the big speech so
far Of the session.
strong fight put up, only one outside
member voting with the Fourth and
Fifth representatives.
A great deal of routine work was
accomplished in yesterdays session, al
though nothing was done, as usual, in
the committee of the whole on the APP
preparation Bills. The work OF the
committee of the whole this week has
been a joke.
The Speaker opened the doings of
the House yesterday morning by call
ing attention to the fact that some
of the clerks of committees were be-
ing paid at the rate of 81 day, fat
rate. and asked the House members to
look around and see if they are earn
ing this money. The Speaker remind
ed the House that economy, like
charity, should begin at home, and that
if retrenehment was to be the slogan
of the Legislature, the policy of pay
ing ST. day for two hours work was
not consistent.
New Laws in Force.
Secretary Mott-Smith notified the
House of the signing by the Governor
of the following bills: House Bill "a;
Senate Bills 4, So, 81 and 80.
Militia Enrolment Bill.
House Bill So, the resurrected bill
authorizing the various county assess
ors to prepare lists of citizens capable
of bearing arms, was reread third
time. The Military Committee pre-
sented majority and minority reports,
Kaniho and Like being the minority.
Before these reports were presented,
however, message from the Governor
was formally and gracefully presented:
Private Reasons of State.
The majority report was then pre-
sented. which stated that Adjutant
General Jones had explained the full
intent of the bill, which explanation
led the committee to recommend the
passage Of the measure.
Rice wanted to know what the Ad-
iutant General had to say, Alfonso,
chairman of the committee, stating
that much of the information was of
nature which did not allow of open
and public debate.
In time of peace we muse prepare
for war. said Alfonso, who explained
that the War Department had the
power to compel the preparation of
such list as the bill called for.
Rice said his address was still Mis-
Continued on Page Two.)