The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-12-12
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY. 10.

RETRENCuMENT has been the w~atchword / of this
journal, ever since economy in the expenses Of
the nation be anne a necessity. We have advo-
Gated it not for the simple sake of something
to talk about, but because the necessity of the
measure is apparent to all who are interested
in the future welfare of our kingdom. In the
PALMER days of our finances, when the policy
of our statesmen was something more than the
- let-useat-and-drink" policy which of late
years has controlled the ministerial bureaux of
our country-when the far-sighted vision of
those to whom was conided the direction of
national affairs, sought the future good of the
country-the treasury was kept free from debt,
and the public credit and every branch of the
government service breathed a healthy air. But
matters have changed greatly in ten years, and
ret~renchment alone can bring US back to the
financial prosperity of those days, and enable us
to free ourselves from an increasing burden of
public debt, which will soon reach $500 900,
if that sum has not already been attained.
In urging economy, We have done what the
public good demands, for no personal benefit can
be derived by us from it, except what we in COM
mon with our fellow-citizens gain by a more
stable, prudent and well-regulated government.
We have urged it in the War Department and
in the Judiciary, in the police, in the revenue,
and in every branch of the public service. But
we have nowhere called for an abolition of anu
SerrIee Of the government, rs charged on us by
the POiynesian in its last issue, excepting only
the adjustment of the Government Press, which
last We shall continue To call for until some
policy is adopted of more advantage to the pub
lie service than that of private contracts with
favorites, under the pretext of a lease for the
public benefit. Says the POlynesidn:
Did the Advertiser speak the public sentiment in Angus,
last, when Il denounced the police as a useless; eItravagant ex-
timent now, when it asserts that the Ministers reduced the police
from personal motives and not "a ; a part Of a general plan Of
retrsnehmsnt' II the Adrertisr was right in August, how
now condemns !"
We have nowhere advocated on abolition of
the police force, in Honolulu or anywhere else.
Our language is clear and unmistakable, that q
reduction be made Of one-hdy. Here is our Ian
guage:
.Under the efHcien, arrangement Of The present able chief Of
police, an appropriation Of haT the amount would give as much
and the most peaceful native population in the world"
Now what did the Ministry do? Instead Of
reducing one-half, as they should have done,
they have virtually abolished the police force
in Honolulu. The force formerly consisted of
from twenty-eie hit to thirty-four men, not includ-
ing officers. The paid force now consists of only
four mattress and three foreigners, besides officers.
And these seven men are all that are allowed
to guard a city Of 10, 1000 inhabitants day and
night. And after u o'clock ON each night, if
we are rightly informed, the city is left to the
protection of but tro or three policemen, one of
whom has to remain posted at the station-house,
while any shrewd burglar can elude the steps of
the remaining two, and enter any house or set it
on fire, without fear of detection
1t is in the manner in which the Ministers have
gone to work to IS retrench," that We find cause
of complaint. We called for q reduction of the
expenses of the department, and they have vir-
tuaIly abolished Its efficiency altogether. The