Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-04-06
SENATE WORKS ON.
MAKING BUDGET.

While congress last night debated
the war issue in Washington, the local
senate, meeting as il committee o. TIE
whole, argued QUO the general aprrc-
pTiation bill for the coming tWoyear
period. The nl;icnaI Legislators fin.
ished their work al . O'clock this
morning; the territorial legislators at
midnight. - -.
Such action as was taken 10 not
final, necessarily. for the COMMITTEES
has yet to reO0Tt To thu senate proper
and the bill mT&t still pass that body.
Members of the finance committee of
the house sat as guests of the senate
committee during the evening.
Castle Announces War Declared
1t was shortly after 10 o'clock that
Senator Al Castle rose, and every
body supposed it was to argue some
question under discussion. E..
Gentlemen" he said, 1T may be of
interest to this body to. know that
war has been declared"
Silence for long 10 seconds fol-
lowed his announcement, then the
committee settled back to work. But
shortly afterward when the commit
tee returned to the loose ends 1t had
left in the appropriation bill the ef-
feet Of the war announcement was
felt. Brig. Gen. Samuel l. Johnson
was given raise in pay from $500
to $500 a month and the salary of his
assistant, Maj. Lawrence Redington,
was increased from 5000 to $3.50.
Item by item, sometimes slowly and
sometimes swiftly, the committee
passed over the bill 1t would jump
an item involving thousands to hang
up soon after on a. fraction involved
In some individual salary.
There were raises aplenty, however,
over the salaries named in the ap-
preparation bill and some of them
were as follows: George X. Harrison,
photographer, $500 to $3.50; Forester
Charles Judd, $500 to $3.50; Gen. John
son and Maj. Redington as already
named.
Public Works Criticized
The office of the public works de-
partment came in for considerable
criticism and light bantering during
the evening, Chillingworth being the
chief questioner as to various items
He thought there were too many en-.
gineers on the list Action on the de.
partment was finally deferred.
Considerable discussion arose as to
the legality of the emergency fund
which the ways and means commit.
tee has Introduced as a substitute for
the governors contingent fund, as the
governor has intimated that he be-
lieves the plan is not in accord with
the Organic Act
The question lies in the placing of
funds into the hands of the chairmen
of the two finance committees for dis
tribution-money which they have
helped to appropriate A similar
question has arisen over the emery.
ency fund of 100000 which Senator
Baldwin has proposed for the families
Of national guardsmen rendered desti-
tute through the call to the colors.
Opposition from Senator'S Chilling
worth and Castle rose when Senator
Single tried to put through his favor
lite plan Of having the surveyor gem
eral under the land commissioner.
The two buckled Single right heav-
lily and it looks doubtful now If the
plan win ever carry.
In general, the salaries and items as
set down in the appropriation bill in
trc1uced by the ways and means
committee carried last night with the
of a number of deferred
items and those already detailed in
The foregoing paragraphs.