The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-12-23
Original Resolution Is
Amended to Make
It Specific.
(FrOm Thursdays Advertisor.)

The chamber of commerce held
meeting yesterday afternoon which
dealt with principles of vital interest
to this Territory.
The principle involved was whether
or not laws should be passed by CON
gress affecting vital interests in Ha-
waii without the people of Hawaii hav-
ing an opportunity to first know what
they are and to discuss the same The
chamber put itself unanimously on rec
ord as opposing any such action by
congress and in favor Of full local pub
licity of all measures presented to CON
gress before the same is acted upon by
the national legislature.
The text of the discussion was the
two so-called "McCrosson bills, re-
Gently introduced, the one known as
the ''Kau Ditch Bill, and the ether
the "Wahiawa Bill"
The ''Kau" bill is really a general
bill applying to all of the public waters
in the Territory and all the land cap
able of being irrigated by the same,
and provides wholesale amendment
to our entire land system and laws and
otherwise virtually amends the Organic
Act.
Simply "Grab.'
The 'Wahiawa' bill is simply bill
which proposes to take certain water
away from the people who are now
using it and make a present of it to
certain other people In other words,
it is "grab, pure and simple, with
out any rhyme, reason or justice to com
mend AZ.
The original resolutions introduced
in the chamber yesterday, provided that
the chamber of commerce should go on
record as against action being taken
by congress until the same had first
been submitted to the local legislature.
The majority of the members, while OPP
posing the two specific bills above
named, thought this was going too far,
and adopted the principle of crossing
bridges when you come to them, in
objecting to the two McCrosson bills.
The meeting was addressed by Delegate
Kuhio, E. d. Tenney, w. R. Castle, A.
Lewis, Jr., S. M. Ballou, j. R. Gait and
l.. A. Thurston.
President Morgan introduced the sub
ject by presenting resolutions which
were recommended by the trustees of
the chamber for adoption by the mem
bers, as follows:
Special Resolution.
Resolved, That the Honolulu Chamber
of Commerce deprecates the practise
of presenting to congress bills relating
to local affairs in Hawaii without OPP
portunity first being afforded for full
IL -,
this Territory.
Resolved, That the Congress Of the
United States be and is hereby respect
fully petitioned not to pass private bills
comforting priyileg s in Hawaii, or pub
lie bills under which private interests
may acquire vested ghts, and especial
ly not to pass any act amending or af-
fecting the Organic Act OF this Terri
tory, unless the proposed legislation has
been first submitted to the legislature
of the Territory.
Resolved, That copies of this resolu-
tion be sent to the President of the
United States, to the secretary of the
interior, to the presiding officer and
the chairman Of the committee on terri
tories of the senate and of the house of
representatives, and to our delegate to
congress.
The adoption of the resolutions was
moved by E. D. Tenney, seconded by
j. R. Gait
Castle Opposed.
W. r. Castle stated that he was in
favor of the spirit Of the resolution,
but he doubted the souhdness of the
second portion of the resolution, which
limited action before congress until the
local legislature had passed upon any
particular subject,
He thought it wiser to meet specific
questions as they arose, and not COM
nit ourselves beforehand concerning
unknown conditions. He thought it
would be sound to pass resolutions di-
rected specifically to the two bills now
before congress which we objected to,
but not to commit ourselves concerning
other matters which might arise in the
future.
Thurston Offers Amendment,
L. A. Thurston stated that while the
resolutions made no specific reference
to any bill, the members all knew that
the text of the resolutions was the So
called Kau ditch and Wahiawa bills
now before congress. The speaker had
never had any business relations with
Mr.. McCrosson, and regretted exceed
ingly being drawn into a position of
opposition to anything that McCrosson
might be attempting to do, as the latter
was a man who "did things" and
there were none too many of them in
the Territory.
He believed McCrosson TO be hard
working, straightforward man, who by
his tiTeless industry and pertinacity had
carried 10 a successful issue the two
Kohala and the two Hamakua bitches;
aud when Mr.. McOrosson announced
that he was going 10 undertake the
carrying of the surplus waters of Hilo
20 the arid district Of Kau, the speaker
was strongly In favor OF the PROPOSE.
tion, and had told McCrosaon that he
would do all he could 10 help him, be-
lieving II TO be IN the interests Of the
general public, and more particularly
the Island 0f Hawaii and that portion
whore the speaker was more partieu'
larry Interested, 10 have the millions
OF gallons Of watoF nov going to waste
make fertile helea 81 what was now
practically d desert