The Hawaiian gazette., 1882-07-26

penditures which it has SO carefully put
together, il will reduce the government
loan bill TO a fourth OF the amount asked
for, and by such action ii Will earn the
esteem of those who are locking on, instead
of becoming the laughing stock Of every
sensible man, who looks on at the gross
follies that are being committed in the
name of legislation.
Orr of twenty four tax assessors for
the various districts district on the Islands,
eleven are members Of the present House
of Representatives, one Is the brother Of a
cabinet minister and the other half Is
made up Of miscellaneous people Now
we like patriotism. and the patriotism
which not only urges men to spend their
time in laboring for the general good at
the Legislature, wearing themselves out
in lengthy debates, spending their strength
over wearisome committees, but which
further urges them to take mp the
onorous duties of tax assessorship, GER
tainly merits the highest applause.
Messrs G. E. Richardson. Frank Brown.
S. K. Mahoe, j. X Kaulukou, L. Aholo,
j. w Kalua, J. Gardner, j. Nakaleka, d.
H. Nahina. j. Nakookoo and G. ". Pilipo
do merit this high applause. 1t is no
/ light thing after the session Is over, when
mind weary with die great strain which
the duty Of legislating has put upon them,
| to rush off to their various districts and
enter upon the subject of values, to est
mate stock, to appraise cane land, 10 mete
out that Justice in the valuation of prop
erty, for which our tax assessors are so.
Justly famed. That when thus worn down
by Legislative duties, mistakes should creep
in, is by no means surprising, and those
whose lands or crops are over valued VIII
readily pardon such venial errors and lay
it to the true cause, over work But Is 1t
absolutely necessary that 50 much work
should be pressed upon these self sacritic
ing gentlemen: we hardly think it Is.
There are those whose time Is not SO much
engrossed who would have done the work
quite as well, as these gentlemen will do.
For instance why should one unfortunate
gentleman be compelled to leave the island
of Maui in order to come to Oahu to assess
the district of Honolulu No doubt the
fact of his being a resident of another Is
land makes him elninently fitted for as
essing the most important district in the
Kingdom, and we can thoroughly appreei-
ate the lofty spirit which has dictated his
acceptance of the office. but we think it
has been asking too much and after all
man from Honolulu might have done the
assessing for the district as well, if not
better, being better acquainted with the
property he had to value.
Exactly upon what principle tax assess |
ors are chosen does not appear to be very
clear Though some Of the late appoint
ments are fairly good. others are glaringly
bad. Looking over the list We find that
only three foreigners are upon it. Now
the foreigner, by the showing of the tax
list, which has been so often adyerted to
in these columns, has paramount property
interests and there are many latUralized
foreigners who would certainly have made
far better assessors than those whose
names are down. We have had a great
deal of discomfort about assessing, and
we fancy that discomfort is likely to in
crease. II is Just upon such matters that
a government should be most careful, for
it cannot afford, if it wishes 10 stand, TO
allow such discomfort 10 grow. This sub
ject was matter much spoken Of by |
several planters when they were up here |
in April last, but from the present appoint |
ments, we do not see that there IS much |
likelihood that they will be better satisfied |
this year than they were last.