Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-06-16
ORGANIC ACT DEBATE
CONTINUED from Page ~

mileage at the rate of 10 cents
a mile each way, the sum of
5000 for each regular session,
payable In three equal install.
ments on and after the first.
thirtieth. and fiftieth days of the
session. and the sum of 5000 for \
each special session: Provided,
That they shall receive no com
pensation for any extra session
held under the provisions of sec
tion 81 of this act.
With the following committee
amendment
In line - strike out the word
six" and insert the word
N"elght," SO that 1t will read
eight hundred dollars"
Mr.. Macon. Mr.. Chairman. this
is a Senate bill and must have been
duly considered by proper commit
tee of that body. They thought in
the upper branch of the Congress
that $500 was a proper compeusa-
ton to pay the members of the leg
islature of the Territory of Hawaii
for regular sessions and $500 for ex
ira sessions. II seems to me that
that amount ought to. be sufficient
compensation for members of that
legislative body. Most of the States
of this Nation do not pay their leg
islators greater compensation than
So per day, together with mileage.
am advised that the legislature of
Hawaii sits about sixty days This
provision indicates that II sits about
fifty days in regular session, because
1t provides that payment shall be
made to members on the first. thir
tieth, and fiftieth days of the ses-
sion, thus contemplating that ses-
sion will not last longer than fifty
days. Therefore the pay would be
about SO day, which amount
ought to be sufficient compensation
for members OF any legislative body
of any Territory or State OF no
greater importance than the Terri
tory of Hawaii
The State | represent in part only
pays its representatives So a day, 1t
is not expected that the Office shall
be money-making one. Persons
interested In good government are in
favor of good laws, and those OF
them who represent their counties in
the legislatures of their States ex-
pect to make some sacrifices in order
that they may have good government
and good laws.
The proposition to pay members
of territorial legislature more tnan
the members of the legislature of the
average State receives seems to me
to be unwise. Some of the States;
such as New York, pay a greater
amount than that. II pays SO much
year, ] believe. but the Territory
of Hawaii will mot compare with the
State of New York in any way. and
hence we can not afford TO say that
member of the legislature OF
great State like New York, with her
teeming millions of inhabitants to
he legislated for, should not receive
greater compensation than the mem
bers OF the legislature of a Territory
like Hawaii, with a population of
only 10000 to be legislated for.
After deliberate consideration, Mr..
Chairman, my Judgment is that the
amount provided by the Senate Is a
sufficient compensation for members
of the legislature of the Territory of
Hawaii, and, inasmuch as the tax
payers of this country must pay a
part of that amount, insist that
we should not attempt to amend this
provision. therefore hope the COM
mittee amendment Will be defeated.
Mr.. Lloyd. Mr.. Chairman, 1t is
not my purpose to debate this
amendment, but simply to state that
the minority of the Committee on
Territories are of the opinion that
the Senate provision provides SUN.
cient compensation for the members
of the legislature. The legislature
may remain in session for sixty days,
and this will provide compensa-
tion of $40 a day, with the addition
of 20 cents for mileage. and we are
of the opinion that that very nearly
pays the expenses of the travel of
the individuals who may attend the
legislative body.
Mr.. Kalanlanaole. Mr.. Chairman.
the reason for this increase of COM
pensation for members of the legis-
, lature was thoroughly gone over by
our people. The business men, the