The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-05-22
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY, A %.

on our first page. II shows n total estimated
expenditure for the two coming years of S4S4,
243 95, or $242. al % per annum. As com.
pared with the budget laid before the last Legis.
lature, the reduction is so great, that the first
question that presents itself to the reader is,
what causes the Inference? To this we shall
refer again, merely remarkIng now that the
Minister has by this time learned that he is not
a very shrewd guesser on government fiscal mat
tiers, for in his report for 1860, he estimated the
revenue of the government for the two years end
ing March 81, 1862, at $756,353 50; but they
proved to be only 1861 ,S2l AZ, including up
wards of $3.50, 900 of borrowed money. His
estimate then fell short over $74 900.
The Budget opens, as usual, with the Civil
List, for which the sum of $40 900 is called,
which is q decrease from the amount voted in
the previous bill. caused by a transfer of the
salary of Prince Kamehameha, and one or two
other items, to other departments. We do not
see that any improvement is made by this
change, and it strikes us that the more appro-
pirate place for the salary of His Royal Highness
is in the Civil List. We have before recommended
a larger sum be voted to him ($5 600 or Sc, 0O0)
not as Minister. but rs one of the Roy Family,
whom the nation is proud to honor and support,
and we still adhere to that opinion. The change
would seem to have been made by the Cabinet,
rs an effort to retain the salaries of the Ministers
at their present rate.
The Department OF the Interior opens with
the salary referred to above-that of the Minis
ter and singularly enough, of the first ten items
in this department, the only reduction proposed
by the Budget is in the pay of the chief clerk,
whose salary, of all those named, least merits
curtailment. If retrenchment is to be the rule,
let all be Serred alike, but do not single out the
hard workers, the really deserving employees of
the government, while sinecures remain untouch-
ed. If there is to be any reduction, apply it to
all.
Attached to the salaries of the clerks of gov
ernors appears a provision, entirely absurd, and
intended to nullify an important section in the
bill. That provision is contained in Section 5,
We quote:
SECTION s. No person holding one or more Offices for which
salaries may he provided, shall BE- authorized To draw for more
which shall be deemed n full equivalent for all his services, and
he shall be entited to no other Or further COMPENSATION, unless
1tbersiss expressly authorized by Law, or ny the direction Of
Ills Majesty IN Pnvy Council
This is the first time that any such provision has
been made in the bill, and it is n wise one, which
We trust may be adopted, and rigidiy adhered 10.
If officers of the government hold two OF more
and the pay of one is not sufficient to sup
port them, let the pay be increased, and that of
The minor Office dropped.
The salary of the Marshal is lessened, and
considering that increased duties are imposed on
aim, its propriety may be questioned. If, how
ever, the rule of retrenchment is applied here, it
should be extended to the Sheriffs of the other
stands, where the pay is large compared with
he service. The amounts voted for police appear
Is rather small, and yet under the present econo-
meal management, may perhaps suffice.
The next item of 81 900 includes an appropri-
ItiOn for publishing judicial decisions and laws
" authority in newspapers. Again, at the close
If the appropriations for the Judiciary depart
nent, we see the sum of 5000 inserted to cover
he publication of judicial decisions. Now as
he government has contracted for publishing
hese decisions and other authority notices in
n the Poiynesian, why this call for new appro-
for this object?
The budget enters SIS, 600 for the Postmaster
# Honolulu and Clerk. If a faithful active
nan holds the Office of Postmaster. who is willing
o work, there is no necessity for a clerk and we
IC duNltS VI ma Nlh NC
orily filed for 81 900 to 81 200 a year, thereby
ringing the expenses of that department within
Is income.
81 COO are called for, to pay for the govern
lent printing, in accordance with a contract.
We shall have something to say on this head in
mother number, and the Representatives. before
hey vote it, will probably convince themselves
f the necessity of the appropriation, what it is
IT, and for how long the monopoly is to last.
For the pay of Road Supervisors, 50 rs to in
lude the pay Of Water Supervisor and Clerk of
honolulu Market, the su n Of IS, GOO is inserted.
his, it must be borne in mind, is for the pay of
,me Is or 20 Road Supervisors, throughout the
lands, the Water Supervisor, and clerk of the
larket. Now under the rule Of retrenchme1t
lnnot the three Offices Of Road superintendent
" Oahu, Water Superintendent and mari-.t
Jerk, be as we'll performed by one person, 10y
-hich 4 large reduction may be effected?
\ call for 81 900 is made to defray the expen-
; OF the =. Prostitute Act" in other words, to
ny the physician rather an expensive whistle,
that IS, 200 more are wanted for the
ospital. Here, too, is another needless ex ense,
lasmuch rs the Hospital physician mig: per-
,rm the service, and probably with as much
ltisfactiOn to the public. if the disgraceful pros
law is still to be continued in force.
Scattered through the list of appropriations
II this department are many small items, of
reater OF less Importance. The total amount
.lled for IS SlGO,sO9, and a reduction Of S25,-
DO to S31, coo can be made in it, with no detri-
to the public service.
The foreign Office demands for its use SOB 200,
a sum larger by $1,000 than that of the previ-
Is bill, the increase being mainly to meet ex-
of a foreign mission but what the mission
does not appear.
Following down the items in the Department