Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 29, 20 October 1893 — TOPICS OF THE DAY. [ARTICLE]

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

jt ix |»].*.tsing to se« th«t tbere were eight cooncellors who Totetl soli«l «g»inst tbe latest scbeme of the 0«ho Kiilroati Comp«oy, an«i killē'l tho 'gaar«ntee bill. Wo h ave never taken auv notice of tho propooed act, becaose vre never «Ireame.l that there vas any possibi!itv for it becoming law. T.ie very clo.se vote of eight to h »ven, shows now wh»t a verv n «rrow ewipe tho conutrv has ha.l. The pn>position that the govemment shoultl gnrantee the inten?st on tbe $lKKMXk), whieh tlie IUi!r >»d iuten«le«l to raise is propostorons. It wouhl virtnallv Htuount to sj«ddling the government with an anuul ex pense « f $3.000 besi«les the subsidy whieh it uow pays to the lUilroad. Even lUilroa«ls and Dillinghams c.»n be bonght too do«rlv. Eventoally the government wookl have beon obligetl to tako pos.ses.sion of the railroad and then it wouhl be blessed with a white e!ephunt of even larger dimeusions tiiaa the one Mr. Thiu>«ton pres*»nte«l to the eonntrv in the sLape of the Postal Savings Bank. However tbe bill is iudefinitely p*>st(>oned aml M»'ssrs Young aml Emmeluth, are to be o«>mplimented on the firm st >nd tak«u by them against this gigautic «eheme for b«>o«lle. And the monniain |rr>’ano«l aml made an a«fni noi.se, aml Io!ont eame a mouae. So <lid that great finaiicier who at present ruus the governraent treasury as a s:«le sh«»w to his b.«nb groan aml make » great noi.se by talking about tho womltrful ro«luo ti«>ns whieh he w<s g<>ing to lonke iu the e\pomiitnres of the roiliUrv dep*rtmeut, bat io! out eaine h fiu .n«-it»l nious«> an«l the t«>tal s.tvings amount only t«> 11.800 a month—a mere «lrop iu the bucket. The suluries of the otficers huv« not bt*en toncbed while the nnfortunatc privates have hiul th< ir p*y cut down. The r»Hlu«’tii'tis «lon t amuunt to auvthing, su we fail to see why His Excellencv iudnlges in ai! the noi.se—he meuns notbi»g by it anyhow. The A*lv«>rtiser in its w«'eklv | Tt īh'mn to the Miuister of Fi- , nanee, when»vcr that g» nllenan pm- nts his fin •noial statements •lways pu nts with prūle to the f.«ct th»t tue gt>venm>eot l«>o la voder tfie i >■».» «ct «»f 181*3 are be:ng uolil >t par. Wonhl H«s | Exveīleucv r.se up a> *<.>• >u as i C«»uven«<-«i a«id iel the c >nr«try 1 kuuw i f<> w taitienlus ab >nt the I »l«of bonds. We uuiiee tbat w i»»-uev« r there :s a eale «>f | lK»mls <*nt*>r»-d op azo«ng f»e j r«NPeipls of the ire«s«n- * th.t U*ere auroug lb« ! ex{vml;l»«r»s is au item ealUnl ; *'« \, • i>r ng io-.a and that the «u.oa>t «»f that item ū so i thut Ihe b ad virtaallv se'ls for niu<’\ v-ght «T«'Uad of at {w*r. ’

We are really snrprise«l over thi» becan.se we tbongbt tbat with >ncfc a genial. ~table and c»>nfi*lenc©-inspiring governn;. nl a.s tbe Au vertis-T t»>!is U' we are blessed witb. six percent Government bonds ought to eomroand a preroium rather than to l»e pe«ldle«i ont at a disconnt. It w<>nld als-> be of inte«es{ t-> know if thej«j sales of boads are houa tifle or if they simply are tuken by some desj>airiag creditor of tue Government in liea of cash. As the holders of tbe bomls are the creditors of the e >nn ry ; the e is no n >ces-ity for keeping their names &ecret, aud wo shcnhl snggest to His most exeellent Exoellency to present Iho CounciIs aml thereby the taXoavers with a 15st of the names of the bomlhol«lers. If that is done perhaps it will bo a great deal easier to nn«lerstan«l «'ertain things n<»w )ooking rather doubtfol, and we m»»y yet leam “how it is dono” whea the gigintic linnueial min«l of Mr. Damon directs the afiairs of the Government. Mr Damoo who has no secrets as far as tbe treasur\’ is eoneemed has finallv seen fit t«> give the conntrv some iilea where an«l how the 1argo sura of ?147. 134,32 has been spent. This is the amount whieh while ste»i»lil>’ incr«?asing has appeared nnder label of General Exj>enses of Provisional Governm?nt. As the militarv has swallowed $121,941,03 there is some reason to eall tho expense General. The eonncils have sj>ent $3.223.04 for their expenses. We presnrue that this amount has been nse«l t«» j>ay tbe secretary for his ardnous «luties onee a week and 'or peu-knives letter pnper, and other tbings de«r to the legis!ative heart. There ls evidently no salary in being a member of our House of Lonls, The commission t«> Washingt-»n has only e >st $13.204.32. That isn’t very mueh divide«l amoug five diplomats ..n«i gou«l livers. That the commissi«>n raet with uo snccess c«n easily be understood. If they had given Cleveland a dinner at Delmonico things might bave lt>oked difierent. But that migbt cost nearly the whole appropriation. !Sow the governmeut asks for a further appropri«tion of $90,300. As they have foll possess«on of the tieasury we really dou’t see why they ask for auy a’ppropriations, The taxpsyers are perfectly n?sigue«l aml prej»re«l for tbe worst —when tho «lay of settlement comes. tbese “appropriaiiona” might huve t«> be erplamml and the treasuiy n?unburse«l. B’.md an«l ehihllike coraes tho | leame«l Attorney-General aud . asks for $35,000 nu>r»* f-*r bis uiee little departraent- Wheu he was the hom»rable nteml>er of K .lo.i in tae L»st Legislat ire, he c->uid not underst4ml how «>n earth it was tbat tho |H«iice sj»e-.t s«» maeh He cert«inlv c»»ns d**rvd it absolntelv nnuec«*ssaiy. au«l he • must vote for a redncti«>n. Mr. ; Cecd Bit»wn at tbat time AlU»rm v Geuer.il d»>nbled fch« wi»«lo«o of mlucing the aj»)*r«>t>riations fur ihe jH>hco tlepartuient. bul as ej«>ney wore sc«rce. he »ccept d the propoeitions of Mr. Smil‘i. This iearned geai)#maa claiiu»d «' » .sUnUv that if Ihe Att*»n»ey- - G ncral s department vms »-n>perly maa«ged (hy him»elff) it i

coald easi!y get aiong »ith » smailer •ppropriation. And no* comes this great Uwyer and stiil greater Legi?Utor and wbiues. jtnd begs for more money and I give> as bis re»son lhat tbere had been so mneh extiavagance | dahng the first eigbt raonths of j the—j>erio*,l (prev:ousiy to his j appointraent i tbat īt w*s neeeaa»ry to use hsrd cash to setlie up aud straighten out. That the learned attorney-general is pre j varicating anvbody conversant : with the atiairs of his department realizes, bnt wo ,sjbould humbly ; suggest to His Excellency to ; prodnce a true correct aud ; detailed statemeut of a!l receipts , and expenditures connected with : his department fr»)m Aphl lst ; 1S92, to Jauury 17th 1893, and j fr>»m that date till to d iy. The 1 sbowiu*i will not eome out in ° favor of Mr. Smith’s regime and it is bec.iuse be fcnows tbat be I has made so ntter a fiilure as the head of Lis departmeut that he shirkspublicity-of the linaueial afiairs of the poiiee and prefers to prevaricate and throw slurs and bnse insinutious on his pre lecessors in olSce. Whenever a apeeial conrt sits raore particularly on uaval matters there is bound to be 5 »me ontsider who knows mneh more about the bnsiness thxn the men constit«ting the court. Tbe court of inquiry whieh bas been beld nmier the presidinm of th** British Minister Major J. H. Wodehoose over the stranding of tlie Miowera is of conrse also the object of unfavonible criticism by some annonymons shell back who has been airing himself to an Advertiser rep<»rter. We publish the opinion of the Conrt in extenso to give all the “knowiu"" onee a ehanee to “know” a little more. The Star continues ifcs vicions attacks on Consul-General Mills. That gentleman has uow assumed j his olheial position, Hndaitbough we don’t suppt>so that he ean be aunoyed by anvthing whieh tho Star ean print, it becomes tbe doty of the Govemment to uiuz zle the auuexntion organ —as it lins been cbliged to do on severil previous occasions. The Star is promising us a real tirst-clāss cirous when Mr. Theo. Dnvios arrives. We are strongly uuder tbe impression that the circus whieh shortly will be seen bere, wili not be a source of amusement to tbe Star editor and his backers