Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-02
LOOKING AT THE FACTS OF DEFENSE

Governor Pinkham's special message to the legiS-
latule yesterday must answered not merely by the
lawmakers but by the people of the territory.
Is Hawaii to have real or IA. halfreal National
Guard and Naval Militia?
Is Hawaii willing to spend the money necessary
TO make these organizations real?
Is Hawaii willing this money should be spent from
the revenues coming out of leasing public lands?
These, in substance the questions the governor
puts up to the legislators at the close of series of
Ithought-provoking statements and statistical tables.
We think that the general demand for a large Ma
tional Guard as voiced in the past three years,
proves that the people we'll aware of the
isity of citizeni army for defense purposes. But
ae they awake TO the fact that money must be spent
with no niggardly hand to secure and support the
home organizations?
Turning to the method of getting the mOney--that
OF land income--it is interesting to remember that
SIX wears ago a Kauai senator, George Fairchild,
proposed the leasing of lands for the purpose of pro
Eriding revenues for public schools The proposal
was defeated, the main argument against it being
that Hawaii should not halt in its demonstrating DO
! hey; Hawaii should continue to open lands to small
farmers, not to allow them to be held by large lease
holders
/ This was six years ago when demonstrating was in
the hopeful experimental stage. Many abject fail
ures have been chrOncled since then and few sue
cesses.
Governor Pinkham has reduced to figures the
Homestead mortality" it might be called the
alarming extent to which hOmesteads pass into alien
hands, the large number of failures.
The arguments which held good years ago do not
hold good today. The demonstrating theories are not
working out.
Meanwhile there has come this new problem of ma
| tiona defense in which Hawaii has and must have
a conspicuous part
/ 1t is not necessary to add anything to the gov.
ernor's statement on this point. His message is
4cear in emphasizing that Hawaii has got to do its
share, and that this share will cost money.
The governor has definite proposals which he calls
upon the legislature to consider. In principle, we
agree with his message At some points it is OBJ
scurr and it bears the inferential passages which
detEact from the clarity of most of Governor Pink
HAMS state papers, but its main thread of purpose
! is unmistakable The tarBulletin hears also that
the governors plan has been approved in Washing
ton, which is strong argument for Endorsement by
! the legislature
| There will, of course, rise an instant howl that
the governor is hostile to the small farmer that he is
trying TO slip homestead control to the plantations
| that he is dISslpatlng public revenues. The men
who chroncally raise these bowls have not yet
forward with any scheme of their to finance the
National Guard and the Naval Militia Hawaii ought
/ to have. When they do bring forward such scheme
/ it will be time to listen to them.
4 The legislature should; however, scrutnze care
fully the proposed expenditures. 1t is not only
proper but prudent for Legislative committees to
know exactly how national guard funds are being
Isrent and to be spent. Only through a competent,
careful and authoritative auditing of the expenses
of the territory for military purposes the legisa
ture justify dvertng very large fund for the next
two years. Having conducted such an audit and
IPrOved that past expenditures have been well
handled, the legislators properly authorize the
handling of the funds in the future.