The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-01-24

Kingdom. can examine these statistics without
inquiring. what are the causes Of this decline
in our trade and productions? Reasons exist.
but what are they? There has been no cpl
demic to Iaralyze our industry and labor. The
cause il uItent-there Is some error in the tinan-
cial policy Of the country. The great mistake
was in removing the burden Of our foreign i'm
pos, tax from the shoulders of those who will
ingiy paid it, and imposing it On the consump-
tive industry Of the nation. We reduced the
duty on liquor from - to s. per gallon,
and doubl d the tax on everything imported
for the natives and laborers to eat and wear.
The liquor was mainly consumed by the seamen
and other transient population, who paid the
Tux almost without knowing it. Our other i'm
ports are consumed by those who pay for them
with the sweat of their brows, and who feel the
heavy burden. Consequently, we shall have
less consumption. especially in the luxuries Of
life. and this will continue to operate on our
revenue. The absolute necesSities, our foreign
and native population must continue to have.
But decreasing a. the population gradually Is,
even this demand must decrease too.
Two OF three years ago, when discussing the
ten per cent. tariff, and also the discriminating
tariff, which was then debated, we presented
these same arguments, and predicted a large de-
cline in our customs revenue. These predictions
are now being verified. The loss in the custom
house receipts for The last quarter of 1850, over
the income for the corresponding quarter of
1859 was more than Sl3 ,000i And this has
occurred in what has always been the best and
healthiest quarter of the year. At this rate the
falling off in the public revenue for 1861 will be
over Sj0, 900, and the total revenue from
customs for the current year probably will not
exceed SIS 900.
Now let US look at the arguments which the
Minister of Finance used when he was urging
the passage of this heavy tariff. The extract is
found in his famous speech, reported by himself,
We believe, and published in the Polynesian of
April ,, 1859
duties on general merchandise proposed to be raised to ten per
require il! What good subject or citizen has reason to com
plain on that ground: The French treaty takes of a duty Of
made up. The following figures viii shos to any candid mind
how the case approximately stands:
Average C~ustom-House Duties for Six Years, viz: from 1853 to
ISIS inclusive:
Goods, s532I25
transit. 2i4I II
Total. .sl24.3s3 65
Deduct two-hfths spirit dur:cs........ 26.sII 20
S9?.555 g
sI52,7s4 80
Gain aa.9 b .s : gs fsn Su sy9 aa Il Pfli sa s.oa::::::::: s ssh I; 3
Difference gained, s2s.4oO 81
The picture of the wonderful increase of reve-
nue. from duties ON merchandise under his
ten per cent. scheme, as shown by the Minister,
has thus far proved all moOnshine. Instead of
u total revenue of Sl52, 1874, as predicted by the
we have only SLY 1903 and instead of
SlI0,424 derived solely from merchandise, the
collector reports a little more than haJ that sum.
W hat Il collapse OF ministerial figures and fan
cies! And the prospect for the current year
looks even worse than that of 1850.
The argument used by the opponents of tie
bill was, that such increase would destroy the
revenue in Il measure, and that an advance of
one PER cent. would produce Il larger increase than
4 ten per cent. duty, inasmuch as the latter
would most surely disturb and check importa-
ton, while the former would not be likely to
Affect it.
Are we, rs Il nation, wise in continuing this
Shall we thus commit national suicide,
place the government heavily in debt, and seek
to fasten eternal poverty on to the people?
If this is the purpose of the ministry, they will
carry the day. ut the rate we are now going
,, it will take but n few years to load us with n
from which no power ON earth can extricate
IS. Direct taxation will not do it, for our peo-
pie are now groaning under the taxes resting on
hem. More they cannot submit to. Let us be
in time and change our ministry, and whole
Internal policy before it is too late. Let re
and reform be the order of the day. =
tighten the burdens which rest on the people,,
PARTICULARLY on the labOrers, artisans and far
nars that industry commerce and oCrripultura
nay again revive and prosperity bless our fair
sizes.
Sailing Statistics.