Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-21
WOULD SET ASIDE
$4,000 FOR
BANANAS /.

T., : o. o.
Salaries of district magistrates and
the banana claims appropriation bill
were the bones of argumentative con-
tention In The house yesterday morn
ing, though great mass of other
work was done. Discussion Of the ba-
rama claims appropriation held the
members attention until 1890 o'clock
when the Speaker temporarily ended
the debate by calling the noon recess.
Senate Bill No. 2, passed by the
upper branch providing an appropria-
ton Of 100000 for the payment of ba-
mana claims; was amended yesterday
by the house co1.H.ittee, boosting the
amount TO $4,000 When 1t came up
for third reading shortly before noon
today Kaniho offered another amend
ment to raise the sum to $4,000, and
in support Of his move made an ex-
haustive plea ON behalf of the prop
erty-owners.
Watkins and Coney both took the
floor against the amendment, the lat
ter, as chairman of the health CON.
I,ittee' which suggested the first S10,-
000 advance arguing that a further in
crease would only encourage owners
to build up fictitious and highly IL
flated claims In an effort to make a
grab bag" of the. appropriation. He
declared the lists already in the hands
of the board of health show claims
amounting to about $4,000 and that
the total figure. isspnlikely to run far
beyond this amount. The bill also in
cludes an item Of about $4,000 for pay
ment of the expenses of the banana
claims commission which will have
charge CT the payment, of the bills
submitted by the property owners.
Kalakiela, Kawewehi and Asch
made futile attempts to further amend
house bill No. l18, which fixes the
salaries of the district court magis-
trates. C. H. Cooke was the only one
TO. succeed in getting an amendment
to the measure however. His altera-
lion gives it effect on July 1, 1913, in
stead OF May /, this year.
Kawewehi wanted to increase the
salary of the district magistrate at.
North Kona from $40 to 500, one of
lis arguments being that this Off
cia1 has concurrent jurisdiction with
the circuit COURTS George p. Cooke
interrupted his Flow of oratory with
an extremely personal question. He.
wanted to know IL this official was q
relative of Kawewehi. The latter, dis
daining direct answer, replied:
"That cuts no figure in this dis
cussion"
Watkins, chairman of the finance
committee and recognized as "the
watchdog OF the treasury" remarked
that the Kona district pays only 2 per
cent of the taxes of. the Big Island;
therefore the Increase of salaries in
that section could be only very small,
His motion TO table the amendment.
carried.
Kalakiela offered two amendments,
to increase the salary of the clerk in
the Honolulu court to $3.50 month,
and to reduce the salary of the Homo
lulu magistrate from $275 to 1855 a
month; both were tabled on the re-,
commentator of Watkins, who said
the salary roll had been approved by
the Honolulu county supervisors, who
knew better than the legislature
whether they could sustain raising
or lowering salaries for which they
must make provision.
Governor Frear's eighth message to
the legislature appeared in the house
yesterday, It submits the report of
the commissioners on uniformity OF
legislation, of which comment was
made in the Star-Bulletin when the
report was placed in the chief execu.
lives hands several days ago.