The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-05-02

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We have selected some of the principal new
items, or such as are increased from the preyious
appropriation bill, in order to comment on them.
1t is proposed to grant an annuity of $4,000 n
year 10 Queen Kalama. This is in addition to
the sum of % 100 interest paid annually on the
debt incurred for the purchase OF the Waikaha-
lulu wharf property, and now included in the
public debt. No one certainly will object TO the
proposed pension To the widow of the great and
good Kauikeaouli, and n 4 testimonial to his
memory il will no doubt be readily voted.
Next we have n call for $4,000 for the " Min
ister Resident in the United States The pub
lie will be interc led to know that we have q
Z. Minister Resident :" in the United States, or
anywhere else. Who he IL will be an equally in
teresting item for Investigation. We suppose it
Is asked for Mr.. Harris, who was sent as Special
Envoy, &c. Directly under this item il another
Of IS 200 for Expenses OF Foreign Missions, max
ing SIS 600 asked for foreign missions, in addi-
ton to the sum of $4,000 voted in September
last for the SINE object. All this, too, is asked
in addition to the salary of the absent Minister of
Finance, which according To the report, has been
regularly drawn. This foreign mission looks as
if il was becoming n little too expensive for q
small people ike the Hawaiians. Let US see
what it Gusts to keep Mr.. Harris:
sal,g ., Misi..sr q franc, var. pat ,..--sISSo
The Budget now asks for
salary q the absent Minister q Finance 10000
fr Minister Re-iient ia the Iaiioi States ---.---... 10000
Making a totai of $4,000
Understood to he for the salary and expenses of
Mr.. Harris as Minister of Finance, Envoy Extra
ordinary and Minister Resident, including a few
unimportant ctceteras, such ns the mission To
japan, dc. The people no doubt are willing to
meet all necessary expenses in a liberal spirit, but
this paying two salaries to any one officer, or
maintaining officers abroad who are doing more
injury tn the country than good, ought not tn be
thought Of. If ministers wish t. travel abroad,
let them resign their Offices, and not, like leeches,
suck the life blood out of n poor people. These
items ought not To be votel without Il full under
standing of every detail, and who is to be the
next Envoy sent abroad to be supported b. the
public
For the support of the Military for the next
two years, the sum of $50, COG is wanted. What
ever sum is voted, we trust that the soldiers will
be p:id more than eight dollars per month, which
their petition to the Legislature asserts they
their pay. At this rate, the pay of one hundred
soldiers per annun is only so, 900. Who gets
the balance of the twenty or thirty Thousand dol
lars annually voted for the military?
An increase is called for the overland mails on
Hawaii. This is n necessary and wise expend-
iture. The Legislature should not hesitate to
provide literally Tor the carrying of mails to the
remotest districts of the group. The post Office
has the past two years paid IT'S ,ray handsomely,
under the discreet management of the present
Postmaster General but the increase is owing in
a great measure to the regularity of the overland
mails, AMI to the frequent facilities for corres-
Pondence. There il no need OF altering the post
age on letters or papers; 50 long as the post office
department pays its way, lee the pnblic reap the
benefit Of all that it earns, and adhere to the low
postal system now established.
The sum Of S22.O00 IL called for roads and
bridges on the four larger islands, of which Eia-
waii wants $40, 900. This is ~ little as ought to
be voted. Roads are absolutely necessary To- the
prosperity of the people. Hawaii especially ncoIs
them badly, As W. have lately had ample oppor-
tunity To- sec. Rather than decrease the sum
asked for, let it be increased.
For Il Royal Palace the sum Of $50 900 il called
for. This looks large but il is probably only
onc-half what will be required TO complete the
structure. y decent palace, and enclosure of one
hundred acres, cannot be completed for less than
800 900, and from that To 500, 600. Ii the
Hawaiian people enjoy the blessings of royalty,
thcy must vote literally for them.
For new government offices S20. 900 is asked
and for n new post Office x, 0OO more. These
both look like unnecessary items. The Offices
now occupied by the government are all that are
needed ut present, or until the palace is CON-
pietcd while the erection of building expressly
n post Office is uncalled for. The present
location was leased for that purpose originally,
and Is by far the best adapted to it, being the
most central in the city. If more room is needed,
the whole lower floor of the building can prob
ably be had for the post Office.
Next comes the biennial call for money for the
governmert printing press, and the sum of
$4,000 is asked. This by no means represents
the cost Of this public nuisance, for, in addition
to that sum, each department: pays for all ais
printing, amounting in the aggregate for two
years To ut least Ten thousand dollars more. Be-
sides this Is the expense of the building occupied,
interest ON investment, depreciation of stock, &C.,
amounting to not less than 200 for the two
years. This gives the total cost as follows
appropriation asked for two
sums paid by Departments for printing ..-............ 10000
Rent, interest on Investment, &c..---.--..-.....-. 4.cO0
Making a total $4,000
That is the approximate cost of this gross pub
lie outrage, which from year to year is kept up to
IRE the people with indignation and discord, and
must ultimately lead to the downfall of the
Ministry. The sum Of five thousand dollars u
venr will 1o all the necessary printin1 ranuiraJ
by the government, and remove one of the great
est burdens and evils now imposed on the Hawai-
ian people. But We shall have more To say of