The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-09-18
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY sEpTE1fBFPI8

Ii our last issue we dwelt upon the necessity O
: introducing into every department Of this Govern.
i ment q greater degree of accountability in the receip
and expenditure Of the publ: naoneys than now exists
It which in no way car 50 efficiently be done IS by fol.
owing the example Of the principal governments Of
t the world. We did not assert that there was any
4 minister in the employ Of the Government. who was
guilty Of Violating the public confidence reposed in
him, bat that, under the loose system adopted bv It,
such a course became possible and that as the Gov
eminent had been forced to send abroad to other
countries to borrow money to be used within the king
dom, It became a duty which it owed to itself, to the
world, and to its own people, to follow the example
Of those countries, and introduce some more rigid
check on the public treasury to accomplish which,
IN an efectual manner, a public auditor is impera-
lively needed. We hold that the Government is
bound to give to its people, even when its expenses
fall within its ordinary receipts, the fullest assurance
that the public monies raised by ordinary taxes, are
properly collected, kept and discussed. But when
1t IS forced to 60 beyond the ordinary receipts, and
incur (be the objects ever so laudable) q debt which
must erentuaAly be pail by the people themselves,
they have q double reason to seek such an assurance.
and not the people only, but its creditors, whether
here or abroad, viii demand such an assurance,
or, if refused, they viii demand and obtain such an
increased rate of interest on the money they lend as
will compensate for it. The stern fact must be borne
in mind that every dollar borrowed by ministers for
the Government, must be paid off some day by the
people.
Let it rot be said that we are anxious to find fault
with our government. Most sincerely do we seek its
welfare and rejoice in its prosperity. But, as belong
ing to the nation, and forming a part of 1T, we, in COM
mon with the people by whom government is support
ed and who will have to bear the burden imposed by
tbn iniu1icious sctS IF n short SioX+oJ o:.;-.. -.
the right to speak of those acts, and show wherein
they do not meet the public wants, or tend to betray
public confidence. When it comes to be a matter Of
dollars and cents with the people, and they clearly
see that the course pursued by ministers is sure to
result in taking from them more of their daily bread,
1t becomes them to point out what reforms they deem
to be needful and practicable, and if necessary to
demonstrate against the policy pursued.
We said that there was formerly an auditor here,
and the bare historical fact stands, that there was
such an office, and that somebody filled it, and we
suppose that he must have received annually, at least
a small loaf, and a little fish for the arduous duties
performed; but, like many offices at the present time,
we conclude it to have been held merely for the name
and pay. We have never had an auditor in this
Kingdom as that Office is understood in other govern
check upon the public treasury. And this :
is what we need-an imperative necessity for the sta
bility and prosperity of the Government in its present
and for the honor and credit of the King :
dOm-something that should be done now, and not
postponed from two to ten years hence, when our :
credit as a nation may be established at Lloyd's or
in Wall street as only semi-barbarian, and our bills
Of credit pass abroad at twenty per cent below par. a
1t is a matter Of the most vital and immediate impor- b
lance in which all have an interest, from His Majesty y
the King, to the poorest native who pays his ~poll-tax t.
by borrowing from his mckomaka's generosity. But e.
. law, if framed, should be framed with great care. fl
md by disinterested persons, who are competent for o
he task. il
Not less important however to the prosperity of the tt
is it that its revenues should all reach the g
public treasury before they are permitted to be dis ii
oursed. That it never has been 50, and that it is not W
20 now, every one knows who knows anything of the e.
manner of collecting the revenues of the Kingdom.
For instance, the school tax Of $40, 900, more or less
Is it may be, never reaches the treasury, it being al
made the duty of the tax collectors to collect and pay ti
t over to the school treasurers in every district of D.
he Islands, taking their receipts, which receipts are al
PASSED into the treasury as SO much cash, so that the p
may obtain their pay of ten per cent. Now
his perhaps may be the handiest way, as no doubt i.
would be very tedious to lug $4,000 all the way -
rom Hawaii, to be deposited in the public treasury =
Then a dozen slips of paper sent up instead answer "
lst as well, while the hard cash is turned over for
keeping into the hands of twelve or fifteen native
chool treasurers, to be paid out during the next u,
welve months according to their very systematic wi
of doing business. to
So also with the judiciary department. The fines NJ
nd penalties collected all over the Kin gdom reach en-
he t treasury cnly so far as they are in excess of the ed
llaries and expenses of the judges, courts, &c. So be
70 with the receipts of the Government Press and of re
ne public stamps impressed by it, not a dollar from ale
hieh ever reach the treasury, unless at the end of me
lie year they are found to be in excess of the ex- ap
snses1a very unlikely event. What amount of the
of the Kingdom never reaches the treasury,
,cept in the shape of reports and receipts, we have Dol
IT the means of determining, but have no doubt it CHI,
at least one-fonrth or about $780, 900. OF course
e Minister of the Treasury must take these unaud-
ID annual reports and receipts from every part of FIR
Kingdom at what they purport to be, and enter 5,
EN- as correct and unquestionable! be
Now we assume that the enactment of a law re-
firing that every dollar collected on account of the
tblic exchequer, should be passed bona fde into it, gar
fore it can be disbursed, and the introduction of a DIR.
sict system OF auditing Of public accounts with the gar
of a well-qualifed auditor, would save ing
the revenue or this Kingdom annually from $50, bee
0 to 500, 900, by causing the revenues To be more