The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-06-13

DURING this last week, we have heard much
conversation on the subject of economy in the
conduct of government affairs, and the Honorable
members Of the Legislature have had not a little
to say thereonA With special reference to our
correspondent "P." in our last issue, we have
thought whether it is wise to be so constantly
harping on the style Of economy which he recon-
mends. The Public Debt has had it's various
changes rung upon it and we propose to discuss
the situation, with ops" communication for a
text. We have heard his remarks called plati-
tudes-such they may or may not have been
but they seem to be the echo of much unthought-
full conversation about town.
In the first place, it is said that we have all
the machinery Of many large and wealthy gov
ernmcnts. This is not true and we imagine our
correspondent would find it difficult to substan-
tate the allegation. Ii Is true that we have the
different departments of government, but the
subdivision and number of appointees is a part
of the machinery of government. A small city
of twelve or fourteen thousand inhabitants, has
a Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council equally
with New York, yet the small city has not all
the machinery of government that the large
one has.
- C--A-D - 6~aN-ANANrN NANeA -
of authority and duties are necessary, and the
number Of inhabitants has nothing to do with
that-uuless it should be deemed best to come
down to the simple chiefsm of some savage
tribes. \ strict economy should be always prac-
ticed, but that does not consist in starving your
employees.
1t may be that our population is I" not more
than that Of many small towns yet it is spread
over seven islands, and it does not follow that we
can be governed as is the small town. Our pop
ulation is necessarily divided into four counties.
The small town has no relations to be maintained
towards foreign governments.
The entire remarks Of our correspondent are
apt to make 4 wrong impression on those who do
not give tho matter much thought, and more
especially on the native mind. The way TO pros
perity Is not through parsImOnious Withholding
from men their just dues and earnings, but
through promotion of enterprise and if some of
our fellow citizens instead of spending much of
their valuable time in contemplating the size of
their neighbors' salaries and planning how they
could impose more duties on those neighbors and
reduce their pay, would devote their talents to
deyising means for promoting energy of produc-
ton in the country, much good might be done.
Says our correspOndent-'' The Attorney Gen
eral could likewise act as Minister Of Finance,
whilst the Foreign and Interior Departments
could be held by one man" We doubt whether
correspondent has the remOtest idea of the
duties of Attorney General but it is certain that
it would be much cheaper to have the Attorney
General do all the duties. As an Attorney Gen
eral requires special educational training, it is
not possible to get any but a lawyer for that
yet the lawyer might perform the duties
Of all the rest.
Our correspondent remarks that - undoubt-
edly persons Of charaeter" may be found who will
noniEaHy hold the Ministerial and Gubernatorial
Offices without pay, whilst the READ acting Minis
and Governors will do the work" What
our correspondents idea Of work is, it is impossi-
bic for us to guess, but we imagine that it would