The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-10-14

the important subject Of al increased ts-iH or
importatiyns OF goods from abroad with q hrisI
allurion. tefming the articles thus affected
3 chiefly iuxuFice, articles which can wei
/ afford the increaraN rates." &c. This names
Of disPosing Of q suijecs of paramount import
anee TO the county,, We characterize Sc triHirg
with liz futdTe prosperity snd that Of s large
cla-s OF lie citizcrz. Il is unworthy Of 81
independent and intelligent newspaper to speak
At all on a matter NJ vital consequence TO this
people, IL unwilling ~ unable 10 treat it with
proper consideration and understanding. The
Gazette would haze done better had il remained
silent on this subject. rnther than have aroused
the indignation of its readers By thus hippantlg
trifing with the Important interests which the
increased tariff affects IN every direction.
y few observatious on the tariff itself will
prove the correctness OF our position, aud in
some degree expose the faults Of the new net,
az we'll as the injustice of the manner in which
1T is intended to be applied
In lccs z over the list of articles subject to
an 0d d Eva duty Of IS per cent, we notice
many of every day use, which might have been
called luxuries fifty years ago, bat which,
happily with the introduction of civilization and
refinement, have ceased to be Injuries aud have
come to be numbered among the necessaries Of
life, such rs ready made clothing and wearing
apparel OF every description hats and caps Of
all kinds linens and all manufactures Of FAX,
&c; crockery and glassware furniture; tea {;
candles, etc. We 60 not intend to enumerate
the whole list of articles, which, under the
increased tariff, will seriously increase in cost,
and still form a part Of the necessarIes OF life
OF the present inhabitant of these islands-ror
which he will have TO pay as g Injuries" vide
the editor Of the Gazette. How far the latter
may be correct in his ingenious idea that the
Legislature in its wisdom had the design in
altering the duties to encourage bone manu-
features, we will rot argue; but the list of
articles will By no means appear to justify such
an exalted view of the case. On the contrary,
We believe that the increased tariff was imposed
with no other object than to raise more revenue
IN the most convenient manner i. g., most
convenient to the lawmakers, who were unable
to devise more equitable measures of taxation,
and equally careless as to how tho taxpayers
would be affected by their Legislation.
But the second section of the act, relating to
specific duties on foreign importations, presents
still moro glaring proofs Of the want of judg-
ment and craftsmanship which characterizes the
entire act. Why, for instance, should China
tobacco pay fifty cents per pound tobacco of
American production being free)? Isit with the
idea of increasing the revenue, or with what
other intention? The consequence clearly will
be that the tobacco cannot be imported after
this, and the Chinese residents, mostly poor and
industrious people, will be deprived Of q reason
able solace and comfort, while the revenue Of
the treasury will decrease instead OF increasing,
just 60 much as the duty of fifteen per cent. ad
~ralOTera on this article would have amounted to.
We do not object to q high tax on playing
cards but while this article will be exempt
from duty from tho United States, as q manu-
facture Of paper, it is a most doubtful policy to
an import duty thes is simply prohibitory.
Where will be the increase of revenue from this
source, and where IN this case are we to find the
display of that sense of justice and equity which
q good government endeavors to chow to all its
subjects, and which they have a right TO expect.
IF playing cards were to be specially taxed for
the purpose of revenue, a stamp duty would
have reached them, and almost all civilized
countries have adopted this unobjectionable
system.
But again, a duty of so q thousand on
cigars is open to the SINE criticism, ]. e., while
free Of duty when imported from the United
as a manufacture of tobacco, importaticns
of cigars from other countries are taxed 80 high
that the duty may be considered nearly, if not
quite prohibitory. Matches may be quoted az
instance of injudicious taxation but
We will close our remarks on section 2 By observ-
ing that the raising of the duties on wines of
Is per cent. alcoholic strength from $3.50
to 81 per gallon is bad discrimination, while the
duty on spirituous liquors remains at the old
rate of 50 per gallon. We are of the opinion
that either the duty on the latter should have
been increased in proportion, or the rate on the
should have remained untouched. 1t is
very apparent to us that that was q wiser legis.
lation, than We have to boast Of to-day which
in years past decreed that wines above Is per
cent. of alcoholic strength should pay exactly
half the rate of duty of spirituous liquors per
gallon. It is known however that the introducer
of this section proposed to raise the duties on
spirituous liquors to So per gallon, as well az
on the above mentioned wines to 81; but on
consideration in Committee the increase OF
liquors was abandoned, while the change in
to wines was adopted. In this we look
in vain for evidence of that careful consideration
of that craftsmanship which in oil countries
Of the globe are never more closely applied than
q change of tariff is under contemplation.
We regret to know that although the Chamber
Of Commerce had q committee of five Of its
prominent members for months under appoint
nent, in order to exchange views with the Ministry
On the tariff and other commercial questions OF
Importance, since acted upon by the Legislative
Assembly, yet that committed never had the
honor of a consultation on the part of the
Ministers, and the possible good that might have