The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-05-11

the principles of the bill place each district in its
proper relation to the rest, in regard to the val
uation Of property in the district, and no one
will deny the value of accurate means Of infor-
NATION in such matters.
7ares Of AnimdLs-At present, Horses over
two years old one dollar Mules and Jacks, Fifty
cents; Dogs one dollar. A special Act regulates
the tax on Stations Regarded simply as property,
animals should be put on the list OF personal
property to be taxed. If they are nuisance,
they should not be taxed, but summarily abatedi
by special Act, if necessary.
The common horse of the country may be re-
garded BY some. as a nuisance and taxed as such,
in the hopes of thus abating the evil. Place the
tax if you please, as high as five dollars a head,
and the poor native will pay it, keep his horse,
and still send in his petition for the reduction Of
the horse-tax.
We do not think that the idle portion of the
community spend more time now in pleasure rid
ing than it did twenty years ago. The novelty
of owing a horse has worn away, and the animal
is now being pnt, rore and more, throughout the
country, to its legitimate use-a beast of burden
and means of conveyance, in some districts rem
dered necessity.
The committee are inclined to deal severely
with the dogs though even here, where dog
may be an apparent source of consolation, delight
or profit to its owner, protect it with a tax, and
also tag around its neck, and let all others be
outlawed. - o3
We have embodied our opinion on the animal
tax in the shape of bill, herewith submitted for
the consideration of the Assembly. In the con-
struction of the BILL we have not simply .consid-
cred the tax as means of raising a revenue,
against which the people will not object provided
it can be reduced, but we have also considered
the best means by which nuisance, in the shape
Of horse or dog, may be abated. ,.r, ..-
Commercial Anqposts- ts-Duties on foreign mer-
chandise should be light possible, where they
affect articles of necessity to the people at large
We are of the opinion that marked discrimina-
articles OF necessity and luxury, Further: arti-
cles in themselves pernicious, but which may be
considered by a certain class Of the community
as necessity, should be heavily taxed, if they
cannot be entirely excluded. Fal ie'i ri a1i
We would call the attention of the Assembly
to articles to IA, both inclusive and article
"a of the French Treaty, which expired by lmi-
tatiOn, on the Sth day of September, 1868, and
which consequently leaves open the door 10
some much needed reforms, especially the Liquor
question. Where protective duty is neces-
sary, We would advocate protection but the
trades at present existing within our borders
do not need the protection Of high duties upon
foreign manufactures Such course would be
pense of consumers.
General Rend7ks-The Committe have not
felt called upon to recommend an increase of
taxation in any direction, not because we do
not consider such an increase in some measure
called for but the Government have not inti-
mated that such an increase is necessary.
There are, however, subjects which will doubt
less call for an increase of appropriation. The
sanitary condition of the nation calls for large
increase of appropriation in that direction.
This is the question of the day, to which any
other question must be secondary. We are pre-.
pared to recommend to the House to pass, if
necessary, the provisional bill which now awaits
the action of the United States Senate on. the
Reciprocity Treaty, if thereby, the sanitary CON
dition Of the people may be benefited. g.-s
The roads of some districts need large sums
of money to be expended upon them, in order
to bring the produce of the country to its ports
in marketable shape. Let the taxes of the peo-
pie be used to develop the resources of the
country, and perpetuate Hawaiians for. Hawaii.
Respectfully submitted, ,ti a.F
Fl. R, HIrcHoocK,
.,, Committee.