The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-02-12

purposes Of education,-and the preparations now being made
aIes a demand for able bodied men, SO that at present there
would appear to be no hope Of being as yet able to attract
emigEAnts to the Hawaiian Islands.
II VIEW of the mischievous use that Is some
times made by candidates for the Legislature of
the law requiring the production by a voter of his
tax receipt, the probability is that an effort will
be made during the coming session to secure it's
repeal. 1t will be well however to consider
whether, by hastily endeavoring to cure one evil,
we may not be substituting another and a worse
one. For instance, in districts where there are
two polling places, if the production of tax re-
eeipts was not required, there would be nothing
to prevent '' repeating"
The BIENNIAL bill of appropriations for the
year 1862, amounted to 1896 ,286. 90; that for
the year 1874 was 1916, 300. 81; by comparison
of which figures it will be seen that in twelve
years the government expenditures have been
nearly doubled. And while it may not be actu-
ally necessary to cut down our coming budget to
the limit of the old appropriations of 1862, yet
something not far from this will be requisite, and
the nearer we can approach to it the better it
will be.
1t is not our intention to discuss any set scheme
for reduction, for this may justly be considered
more strictly the province of the Cabinet than
that of a newspaper; but we are not exceeding
our province when we pronounce upon the use
lessness of some of the offices now in existence
under government, and the disproportion of pay
in Others. In any business, it is a just cause for
sOlicitude if the expenses are in excess of the re-
ceipts, and we are not aware that with O govern
ment the case is at all altered. In exceptional
cases it may be safe to expend in anticipation of
a great return; but in our present circumstances
the wisdom of an expectant policy is more than
questionable. Better hold to the principle that
beyond actual necessity, all expenditure is lavish.
There has been too much respect paid in the
past to eclat in the disposition of government
affairs, and certain stereotyped forms have gradu-
ally grown upon us which, if our financial con-
dition were more healthy might perhaps be just
flied, but which in our present status should be
dispensed with as soon and as often as opportu-
nifty offers. For instance to take a small ex-
ample,-one Minister thinks he has as much
right to employ a clerk (say secretary, if you
willy in his Office as another, and to pay him too
what another Minister pays his; not, indeed, that
there is generally any real work to be done in
the office, but that being a member Of the Cab
met his dignity and power are coextensiVe with
those of other members, and consequently his
establishment should be equally well provided.
And herein we are not Directing that the pay of
clerks in general under government is exorbitant,
in comparison with like positions in mercantile
houses; our reference is to the superabundance
of clerks employed. And with those clerkships,
as well as other Offices where there is clearly no
real work to be done but what might be very
readily accomplished by a slight exertion and ap-
plication on the part of the superiors, it becomes
only a question of appearances versus money lily
to be spared, whether or not they should be abol-
ished; and we should certainly vote for the
saving.
Among the useless Offices to be enumerated,
are those of the Governors of the different isl-
ands. By abolishing these, a saving of about
SO, 900 per annum could be made, and the work
supposed to be done by these offcials-which now
is almost literally no:hing-could be turned over
to the sherifs of the respective islands. The
original intention when the governorshIps were
created was undoubtedly to satisfy the cravings
of the Hawaiians for show and parade, and at
the same time to afford place and ostensible en-
ployment to the native chiefs of the country. But
the race of chiefs is now no more, and it is to be
hoped that as a nation we have become sufficiently
matured to dispense with the pabulum of more
primitive times, however it may be served up
to us.
1t would scarcely be asking too much of the
sheriffs, that they also do the work of read sup
e~rvisOrs of the several districts on their respective
islands, the road making to be done by the pris-
oners under their charge, hiring help occasionally
when needed. Such q plan would be more eff
fectual in securing good roads and much cheaper
than the one at present pursued. In addition to
this. make the sheriff also a tax collector, and he
would then be a moderately worked man in
consideration of which a mall per centage might
be allowed him in addition to his salary. For
these duties he would be especially adapted, as
from the nature of his position as sheriff he
would be more or less intimate with every per-
son in his district.
The sum of SAT 40 was appropriated by the
last Legislature for the support of the military.
About one third of this is required to keep up
the band-an institution of which public opinion
decidedly approves, merely ornamental though it
may be considered by some. But public opinion
will not approve of any expenditure for military
purposes beyond the necessary guard at the palace
and for national courtesies.
In connection with the Foreign Office may be
mentioned a very useless expense, viz: $500 per
annum for a Charge d'Afaires in London.
1t will not be claimed that at present there is
any greater security to life or property than ex-
listed in 1862; and yet, referring to the appro-
priation for police for all the islands in that year,