Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-06-13


be desirable to appropriate money
for this particular service In the
Hawaiian Islands, believe II Is
more desirable that specific estir
mates should be made. so that in
formation shall be before tina Con-
gress, so that 1t will know exactly
what is proposed and what will be
done.
Mr.. Hamilton. Is there anything
in this language that would initiate
against the department submitting to
specific estimates?
Mr.. Fitzgerald. There Is nothing
in the language, but II the gentle
man from Michigan had the same
experience in providing funds for
the Geological Survey that the mem
bers of the Committee on Appropri
ations have had, he would realize
that 1t Is not so easy to obtain in
formation or to control the DISPOSE
ton of appropriations.
The item under consideration Is
an illustration of that fact. Al.
though Congress declined to author
ize all appropriation which had been
requested. the department undertook
to expend 1t without the authority
which had been refused. Some gen
tleman man think II is desirable to
encourage departments to make ex-
penditures of public money for GER
tain purposes after they have re-
quested the authority OF Congress
and that authority has been refused.
wish to call attention to another
fact in connection with this work.
| believe that some investigation OF
the water resources and the water
supply of the Hawaiian Islands is
very important. During the -investi-
CATION that the committee made the
Secretary OF the Interior was ask
ed whether II would mean an inves.
tlgation that would extend over
twelve or twenty years. and the Sec
rotary was unable to tell anything
about It.
Attempts have been made to ex-
tend the work of other bureaus of
the Department of the Interior to
some of the insular possessions and
to the Hawaiian Islands. An at
| tempt was made to enter upon a
very extended work in connection
with the Bureau of Ethnology. All
OF these services may be highly de-
sirable. Perhaps all of them should
be authorized, but the practise here
tofore has been to require specific
estimates for initiating new service
outside the mainland of the United
States, and as a matter OF admins
tration and efficient government /
believe II is highly desirable that
the department should be compelled
TO make definite and specific esti-
mates for these purposes There are
In the Department OF the Interior a
number OF ambitious bureaus, with
energetic chiefs and heads endeavor-
Ing to extend their work as rapidly
and to as great an extent as posi-
BILE. II Is a laudable ambition on
the part OF men at the head of any
public service; II Is more commend
able to act within the law. In or
der to have any control whatever
upon the expenditure of public
moneys II is desirable and essential
that the Congress should have full
Information as to what is proposed
to be done.
Il | call attention to what the Comp
troller OF the Treasury based his
opinion on in making this particular
decision. The Department of the
Interior had submitted an estimate
for an appropriation of $4,000 for
investigating the water supply OF
the United States and measuring
streams, s12.5O0 of which should be
available in the Hawaiian Islands
The part OF the item referring to the
Hawaiian Islands was dropped out.
The comptroller in his opinion
states that in constituting appropria'
lions the rule has been to compare
the language of the appropriation
with the language of prior acts, ant
also to compare the language OF tn,
appropriation with the language o.
the estimate submitted for the ap
preparation, and wherever any par
ticular language which was contain
ed In the estimate has been omitted
In the appropriation to hold that tn,
intent of Congress was not to per
nit the appropriation for the pur
: pose 1t would have been availabl,
for II the language had not beef
dropped out.
Mr.. Crumpacker. Wpl the. gentle
man allow question there as to tn,
Interpretation OF the law? Suppos
this same appropriation--rthe esti
mate for this appropriation-had In
cluded a provision declaring tina
$4,000 should be available for tn
Investigation of the water supply o
the State of New York, and suppos
the Committee on Appropriation
struck out that provision, does tn
gentleman believe that the Depart
: ment OF the Interior could not hav
a.