The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-03-11
By Ernest @. walker.
Mail special TO The Advertiser. }

| nave oeeu tno hawaiian ucNeiOpnuohVH
of no small Importance since the>last
mail left Washington for Honolulu.
These are the approval by the house Of
several good fat items for Hawaiian
harbor improvements and the decision
of the senate committee on Pacific Is.
lands and Porto Rico regarding pro,
hibition for Hawaii.
The harbor items can be described in
few words, the substance of the situa-
tion having already been transmitted to
Honolulu by cable. The bill as reported
to the house and as subsequently passed
by the house carries $150,000 toward
the further dredging of Honolulu har-
Dor, $150,000 for undertaking the prof.
ect at Kahului harbor, and 100000
for continuing the construction of Hilo
breakvater. There is also provision in
the bill for a survey of Kauai island
ports with a view to developing good
safe harbor on that island. Major Win
slow, the army engineer on duty in Ha-
wall, has reported unfavorably on Ha-
napepe Bay as Kauai port and his
request for a general survey of the is
land reached Washington too late to
be presented to the engineer board in
time for consideration by the house
rivers and harbors committee. But the
provision is now in the bill and there is
practically no danger of the senate
changing the Hawaiian provisions.
A condition was attached by the
house committee to the Kahului item,
requiring certain amounts to be ex-
pended by the local interests. This
would have covered the local improve.
ments, made already at local expense,
but it was feared this would lead to
complications and on motion of Delegate
Kalanianaole in the house it was finally
eliminated.
| Beyond question the house has treat
ed Hawaii very generously in the bill.
The sums voted are larger than one
might conclude by comparing appro-
priations of former years, because the
current appropriations are made with
view to enacting river and harbor ap,
preparation bills annually. Heretofore
the appropriations have been made on
a two-year basis, as congress has en-
acted river and harbor bill only once
in two years. The amount given for
the Hilo breakwater is one of the large
items in the bill and is one of two
items in the bill where the house has
voted more than the engineers esti-
mated could be expended during the
next twelve months. The other case
was an appropriation for the Missis-
sippi River. 1t is worth bearing in
mind that the house voted for Hilo
harbor Improvement during the next
year 100000 where for the great and
important harbor of Oakland, Califor-
: MIA, it voted only $250,000. The elimi.
project was aso generous in view of
the fact that there are eleven large
projects in the current bill where such
conditions are attached and the expen
diture of local funds in aid of the prof
ects required. Among these projects
are Seattle, Washington; Houston
Texas; Providence, Rhode Island; jana
lea Bay, New York, and the Sacra
mento River.
The decision of the senate commit
tee, of which Senator Depew is chair
man, to authorize special election il
Hawaii to determine whether the people
want prohibition, was cabled to Homo
: lulu late last week. The arrangement
arrived at after an all day hearing
seems very satisfactory to all concern
ed. 1t was Chairman Depew's own idei
and was advanced by him at thu
eleventh hour as solution of an EN-
barrassing problem. The committee hai
received many representations by CABLE
and otherwise from Hawaii about thu
matter but it seemed to Senator De
pew, as was cabled TO The Advertise
the day previous to the hearing, tina
the Curtis bill would likely be favor
ably reported unless some other metho,
of meeting the situation could be de
vised. Mr.. Depew was averse to de
priying the Islands Of the right TO pas
upon this important question for them
selves and he did not like the idea o
depriving the legislature OF the oppor
tunity 10 enact the laws for the Terri
tory.
Those present at the hearing in
cluded Senator Curtis, Of Kansas JOIN
q. woolley, A. j. Dinwiddie, whe rep
resents several temperance assOela
iions In Washington Judge Y. n
Hatch, Delegate Kalaniannole AM
George Is. Mcclellan. Mr.. Woolley an'
Mr., Dinaiddis spoke for the Curtis bill
the Delegate and Mr. Mcclellan agalns
u, Their opposition however wa
based upon The fact that II deprys'
lbs lgTglioTiel legislature VI lls plope
funeiions aud Was an oneroashmen
upon tbs principls VI A0me role, guar
nnlsed 10 tbs OIRanle Act From iha
peiRi " YleH ihe Delegate and NJ