Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-05

with all parties and factions In Ha.
wall 70 resent the unjust and unwar'
ranted Implication that the electorate
OF Hawai- II unable TO supply capable
public servants able 70 discharge sat
fsfactorily the duties deyolying upon
them as citizens and men OF public
affairs. The Democratic party as an
organization will in the future, as In
the past, exert every endeayor TO
bring about the correction of this in.
justice, urging that our right to home
rule Is Alright that should not be de.
MED.
CONGRESSIONAL REPREsEN.
TATIoN
We again cali attention to the re,
peated and long continued absence
OF the Republican delegate to Con.
gress from his duties In Washington
as the official representative Of the
people. We deprecate the system
whereby the affairs OF the territory.
SO far as they depend on the acts OF
Congress, are and long have been in
the hands of a paid servant of the
Invisible government that continues
to rule these islands. We cite the
failure of the territory to participate
in the benefits of important national
legislation through the ineffieiency
of cur present delegate and offer to
the voters OF Hawaii the services of
a delegate to Congress who. by this
platform. is pledged to the faithful
and continuous fulfilment Of his du-
ties as delegate during the period
when Congress is in session.
MILITARY TRAINING IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
The Democratic party is opposed to
the effort made by the legislature at
its last session to institute compul-
sorry military training of mere child
rem in the public schools of the terri
tory. While recognizing the duty and
privilege OF every adult citizen to be
prepared to do his part in upholding
the principles and ideals Of our coun-
try In times Of stress, we do not be-
lieYe that the wholesale compulsion
of minors, obliging them to take part
in occasional drills, will materially adj
vance the object sought by many
stanch advocates of excessive mill
tarism.S
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP uTILi.
TIES
We reiterate our belief in the prill-
ciple of the government ownership of
public utilities, and cite the Honolulu
Rapid Transit Company as corpora
ton enjoying the free use of the pub
lie streets, that has so consistently
manipulated its charter as to deprive
the people of their just share of the
benefits accruing from the operation
Of generous franchise. We recon-
mend as a settled policy that on the
expiration Of this franchise the street
railway system in Honolulu be taken
over by the city and county and adj
in the interests Of the peo-
pie.
The profits now being enjoyed by
the private stockholders interested In
this corporation when turned into the
treasury Of the city and county would
supply the funds necessary to provide
the city with free garbage disposal
and the cost of maintaining the
sewer syten of the city without addi-
tional cost to our citizens In the
the party favors such apprc-
priations as are necessary to provide
free garbage disposal as sanitary
of the most urgent nature.
FREE PORT FOR HAWAII
With the commercial bodies of
such cities as New York, Baltimore
and Oakland alive to their opportu-
nifty and urging the advantages of the
Iree port for these important CONNER
cial centers on the mainland, we con-
tidently reaffirm the plank in our 1914
platform calling for the establishment
IF q free port in Hawaii.
We contend thai the next legisla-
lure should lead the way for CONNER
.ial expansion by reducing the abnor.
nal port charges now imposed in Ha-
Eaiian harbors and, In addition,
should memorialize Congress to the
End that such laws viii be enacted
md treaties secured with interested
nations as will open Hawaii,s forti.
led harbors, owned and administered
BY America, on equal terms with the
commerce of all nations that will
bind themselves to respect the neu-
radiation eof Pacific commerce and
he Observation-Disclosures of these is
and ports as safe and convenient
center for the Pacific.
BY reason Of her isolation such
bort maintained In Hawaii will in no
way interfere with our import laws
IN the mainland. As free port Ha-
vail would rapidly become a great
commercial and Industrial clearing
rouse as well as the international
and distributing center for
his great ocean.
Merchandise can be brought free of
iuty into the free port; stored in
repacked. mixed or man.
fractured, and again exported: for
ign merchants can maintain samples
n consignments of stocks free from
he harassiye control of customs Of
icers, thus enlarging the volume of
BUSINESS and increasing the opportu-
lity for the employment of both cap
tai and labor in the commerce that
would center in these islands.
The Democratic party again pledg-
q Its senators and Representatives,
nd its delegate to Congress to strive