The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-05-01
BILL
INDEFINITELY
POSTPONED
Ex-Governor Frear Frequent wit
ness et Committee Meetings. in
Washington = slow Progress
with Drydook Negotiations in
Navy Department Mileage Is
Discussed.
BY pfnsst q. walker.
(Mail speclal 70 The Adyertiser

BY Drnest O. Walker.
mail Special to The Advertiscr)
WASHINGTON, April l7.-Ex-Gov.
ernor Frear, Of Hawaii, is consulted
here quite frequently this winter about
matters Of legislation pending before
congress that particularly concern Ha.
wall. At the request Of the house com
mittee on territories he went as a wit.
+ neSs In several bills pending there
One Of these was tie Coerper bill for q
railway, already alluded TO in letters
TO- The Advertiser. In this Governor
Frear told Mr. Coerpen who had also
wanted him TO testify, that he would
discuss the case frankly and, In fact
Governor Frear did appear before the
committee only after he had been re.
quested by the chairman.
The Governor b testimony lasted for
an hour and committee members asked
him many questions. He said il had
been the practice TO- the territorial
legislature first to pass upon such cues.
tions, which concerned the local people
who were entitled 70 express their
views thereon. But Governor Frear
also pointed out that there were fea-
lures Of the bill which he would not
feel like recommending. One provided
for building 175 miles of the railroad
along public highways. The Governor
thought this Objectionable and, at
least, that the local people should have
opportunity to express themselves re.
gafding it. There was disposition
to report unfavorably on the bill but
il was somewhat at Governor Frear Is
suggestion that it was laid aside in.
definitely against the time when Mr..
Coerper should be able to bring here
proof Of the legislatures approval of
the project, H# .8
Pavors Time Extension. @ 'eEE
Governor Frear's opinion was also
asked by the house committee on ter.
ritories regarding the proposed exten.
sion Of the IIilo railroad bill, some de.
tails Of which were not quite clear to
members. He told them he thought an
extension Of time for construction
could properly be voted as well as an
authorization for somewhat larger
sum Of promoters stock. Still other
matters Of pending Hawaiian legisla.
tion were discussed The committee
seems to be getting ready to bring
some of this business before the house.
Progress with the drydock negotia-
tions before the Navy Department are
slow and altogether not very satisfae.
tory Governor Freay and w. n Dill.
hngham are having frequent confer.
ences there They are finding diff.
Guilty, as usual, in transacting business
with Secretary Of the Navy Daniels.
The business methods of the depart.
mept appear to be very crude Word
given by officials of the department
can not be relied upon and, indeed,
according 10 representations is fire.
quently broken.
There has been frank talk on the
part of the contractors, who have pro.
posed that the first effort shall be to
obtain plans which will assure good
drydoek and that financial considera-
tions and responsibility shall be taken
UP and disposed of later. G
There was q little furry in the
house the other day when Representa-
tive Murdoch, of Kansas, brought up
the matter Of mileage for members Of
the Hawaiian legislature The ques.
tion arose on paragraph in the leg.
islative, executive and Judicial appro-
priation bill providing for expendi.
lures of the legislature at Honolulu.
1t entaiIed no vote and after little
discussion, in which Representative
johnson, Of South Carolina, in charge
of the bill, and Minority Leader Mann
participated, the house proceeded to
other paragraphs. This was the
colloquy.
Mileage Question Discussed.
Mr. Murdoch. Mr.. Chairman, what
mileage do members Of the Hawaiian
Legislature getf Do they get the same
as the Alaskan memborsf
Mr.. johnson Of South Carolina. No,
sir; do not think it is so .much. In
Alaska they have long distance to
travel In some cases travel is by
dog sleds. 1t is very expensive travel.
ing in Alaska. l am having the law
Of mileage in Hawaii hunted up. The
mileage in Alaska Is two OF three
times as much as il is in Hawaii.
Mr. Murdoch. How old is this act
which prohibits their taking mileage
for extra sessionsf
Mr.. johnson of South Carolina. That
limitation has been placed upon the
appropriation bills for a number Of
years, t&
Mr.. Cox. Mr.. Chairman, l will say
to the gentleman think the mileage
allowed members Of the Hawaiian Leg-
islatufe is 10 cents afmile, while the
mileage allowed members Of the Alas.
kan Legislature is Is cents a nile. II
know ! am correct in regard to the
mileage Of Alaska, and / may not on
the other, but I think / am.
Mr.. Murdoch. Does the gentleman
know the origin of this statute2
Mr.. COY. No; do not. have
never looked ii up.
Mr. Byrns Of Tennessee. So far ss
the mileage in Alaska is concerned, II
Is stated that the sum allowed is not
sufficient to pay more than a portion
at then their mileage expenses, owing
to the fact that some Of them are com
PEELED to travel by dog teams in Jan
nary and February.
Mr.. Mann, We had quite a debate