Evening bulletin., 1911-03-29
AS
BAKER SEES IT.

! Especial Bulletin Correspondence
| HILO, Mar. 26.-Hilo was able to
get a bit of first hand information
about the doings of the Legislature
this week. when Senator Baker of
| Kona paid a flying visit to this city
The Senator went to Kalapana, and
had hoped to return to Hilo Thursday
afternoon in time to arrange for pub
| lie meeting in the evening, when the
| community might have had chance
to discuss with him the matters of i'm
pOrtance to this island which are now
| being considered by the legislators
| However he missed the train at Pa
| hoa by ten minutes, and was as con
sequence not able to reach Hilo until
quite late Thursday evening, and the
following day he caught the Mauna
Kea for Honolulu.
Senator Baker was seen by Trib-
une representative last Friday morn
ing, and he explained the various
measures in which he is particularly
| interested. The Senator is making a
hard fight for the proposition to pro
vide funds for the construction of a
belt road around this island through
the means of a bond issue, and ex-
pressed a strong hope that a measure
to that effect would ultimately be
passed.
"Of course, you know that Represen-
tative Alfonso introduced in the House
bill providing for the issuance of a
100000 bond by the county of Ha-
wall to pay for belt-road construction,
while I introduced in the Senate bill
very similar in contents and appropri
ating the same amount for belt-road
construction, but also including an
item Of $4,000 for the building of a |
road down into Waipio guleh," said the
Senator. u am informed that since
my departure from Honolulu, the AZ
fonso bill has been amended so as to
make the total amount $450,000
Thinks Bond Issue Will Pass.
Il feel pretty certain that bill pro-
viding for county bond issue will /
pass, and the main doubt lies in the
amount which this county will be au-
thoriZed to borrow. The trouble is that
the other counties are also anxious to
be permitted to issue bonds, and as |
understand that there is limit to
which the Territory may borrow, it is
quite probable that in such case the
county may get only a pro rata, prob
ably in the neighborhood of 100000.
The original bill introduced by Af-
fonso was drawn by A. W. Carter, but
it was introduced prematurely and
contains the mistake that it provides
for the borrowing of the whole sum
at one time. AS we could not possibly
spend the whole sum at one time, we
would in such case be paying interest
on a lot of money which we We're not
using My bill, also suggested by Mr.. !
Carter, provides for the issuance of
the bonds in accordance with our needs
from time to time, so that we will be
paying interest on as small an amount
as possible. However, the House bill !
can easily be amended so as to include
this feature. If the Alfonso bin passes
Senate, | will drop my bill and work
for Affonso's, and in the same way
Alfonso win let his bill go ii mine
passes the Senate before his has pass
ed the House, as both, as a matter of
fact% provide for about the same
thing"
AS to Commission.
Senator Baker was asked what he
thought were the chances for the pass
age of his bin providing for a form of q
government for the county :
Of Hawaii.
Il do not think it will pass" he an
swered 1T was my idea to provide
FOR real government by the people,
where the people would have still !
more direct control of their govern v
mental affairs than they have under $
he present county system, but | am
afraid that the bill will meet with con- e
N introducing the bill to bring the Il
before the citizens of this G
ISLAND In order that they might be d
brought to think on the subject and a
liscuss 1t. In case the people here de- a
,ide to support the measure, | will /
push it along; If they do not want it, q
win drop it," v
The Senator had not taken very o
great personal interest In the Hlo, l.
street railway franchise bin lie had
cad the conness- johnson bill, but as G
he Beers bill had not been printed Il
when he left Honolulu he had not as y
'et studied that measure, and he was II
therefore, not prepared 10 express him- s,
elf on the subject lie stated that I'M IL
Ter the existing circumstances the G,