Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-04-07
House Committee
On the Organic Act
Continued from Page y


The bill originally proposed a sal
airy of $1,000 for each regular ses-
sion and 5000 additional for any
special session. The amendment pro.
posed will leave the salary for reg
ular sessions at $500.
Legislative salaries in Hawaii are
paid by Territorial funds, and the
increase in salary is favored by the
taxpayers as tending to secure the
services of the most suitable citizens
in the legislature.
Your committee believes that the
increase as above amended would be
for the best interests of the Ter
ritOry.
Legislative salaries in the United
States vary widely. Many of the
States, and the two other Terrific
ries, have per diem payment OF
from 81 to Sc per day. Where ses-
sion payments are made. they vary
from $500 in Connecticut to $3.50
in Iowa, $3.50 in Massachusetts,. ST.
200 in Ohio, and $500 each IN
Pennsylvania and New York.
The cost of living and travel in
Hawaii is higher than in any State
in the Union. and the increase Is
necessary in order to enable men OF
small means to accept places in the
legislature.
Section 4 of the bill ads to the
original section SO of the organic
act the words whether such ASSESS
ments are made by the Territory or
the subdivision or subdivisions, In
lines l6 TO 10, on page 3, to enable
counties to issue bonds for public
improvements.
The section makes no changes In
the existing limitation OF indebted
ness, but extends the possible term
OF bonds from fifteen to thirty
years
The proyiso at the end OF section
makes proper authorization for
the condensation OF rights of way
for irrigation works.
Section 5 of the Bill. Amending Sec.
tion 70 Of the Organic Act.
This amends the land laws of Ha-
wall and is the most important part
Of the bill.
The joint resolution annexing Ha-
wall to the United States provided
In general that the laws of the
United States should not apply TO
the public lands of Hawaii, but that
Congress should legislate specially
for such lands, and that the reve-
nues therefrom should be used for
public purposes In Hawaii. In con
formity with this provision Congress
provided in the organic act estab-
lishing the Territory that the land
laws OF Hawaii should, with a few
amendments, continue In force Ac-
cordingly the public lands OF Ha-
wall are now administered by terri
torial officers under the former land
laws OF Hawaii.
demonstrating the public lands OF
Hawaii Is an inherently difficult
problem, due to the physical fea.
lures of the land, which Is cut up
by deep gulches. 1t is further CONF
plicated by the great differences in
the soils and by the tremendous va
Ration in rainfall, which ranges
from 10 inches to $50 inches per
annum In different sections OF the
islands. These problems, added to
that of transportation, make 1t alb
solutely necessary that the land
commissioner should exercise dis
erection In laying out homestead
plats, both In determining the prop
er area and also the proper divl-
sion between good agricultural lan1
and pastoral lands adjoining.
A considerable amount of public
land In Hawaii is already under Gull
tlvation, being leased to growers OF
rice, pineapples, and sugar cane, anG
are considerable source of revs-
nue. to the territory. These lands
are so valuable and there are such
lcopholes In the present laws that
there Is great incentive to take such
lands under the homestead laws for
the Interior purpose of investment
or speculation, or, II the homestead
Is taken In good faith. there is grea;
danger that sooner or later 1t will
be found more profitable for the
homesteader to lease or sell II to an
alien or corporation or large land.
holder. Thousands of acres of land
previously cultivated In cane and
other superior lands have been dis
posed of In this way. Experience is
fast demonstrating that unless the
laws are amended II would be wiser
for the Government to lease or sell
such lands directly than to attempt
to homestead them, for then the
Government would at least get their
value, and, In the case of lease,
hold them until they can be home
steaded successfully, while II they
are disposed OF under the form OF
homesteading under the present
laws they are liable to go eventual.
ly to the same alien, corporation, or