The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-03-08

p now constituted is neither useful no
r ornamental; reform In the direction ind
] Gated would be most acceptable.
One of the most important duties of
e Legislature Is the regulating of the pubh
/ purse: A country that is prospering a
] well as ours is, needs to be careful as t
t how II shall spend Its income: indeed tn
more prosperous country Is, the harde'
is 1t to regulate the expenditure; with In
creased income come increased wants, anC
It behooves those, whose business II is t
regulate such matters to see that the bes
Is obtained for the money, because the in
come Is larger than formerly, 1t by no mean
follows that any of it should be wasted
: As long as the income was a small one
Its very narrowness caused q strict econ
omy. When Ministers went before tbs
House with nearly empty Treasury, or
small deficit, the Legislature used to bt
careful what their votes of supply were
but when the Treasury is full, when there
Is surplus, very different spirit takes
possession Of the assembled wisdom of the
nation, and they are apt to wish to slosh ,
money round in a rather wild way.
From the appropriation bill OF 1SSC
some ideas for the coming session may
be gathered, which it may be as well to
review Just now.
The first item Is the Civil List: upon
this there will probably not be much dis
cussion; the only matter that will provoke
any debate will be the sum Of $4,000.
which was appropriated for His Majestys
household expenses: this it is to be hoped
Will not be increased: moreover it is to
be presumed that a proper account of the
manner III which this item has been e1-
pended viii be laid before the House, not
under a general heading, but with proper
vouchers. As to how His Majesty spends
his private income, it is not the business
Of any one to enquire, but this item was
voted for a specific purpose, and as such a
! proper and detailed return should be
made The only other item that demands
notice Is the $4,000 for coronation. This
has not been expended and it is to be
! hoped that 1t Will not figure again in the
! budget of 1882.
! Permanent settlements are the next in
| order: to these there can be no objection;
indeed an addition should be made to
| them in the shape OF an annuity to the
| Ex Ex-Postmaster General; that gentleman
served the country for many years, and
Q
taken care Of At the same time 1t will
be wise for the country to look ahead, and
guard against the chance Of this section
of the appropriation bill becoming bur
den upon the nation. Men, who have
served the State the better part Of life
time, should certainly be able to look for
ward TO time. when being no longer
physically capable of carrying on their
duties, they can retire and yet not have
the dread of penury before their eyes A
system might and ought to be devised,
by which a fund would be created that
would give pensions to retiring officers.
In some countries it Is the custom to
deduct a small percentage from the sal
aries yearly, this sum is invested: upon
tins fund no government officer has any
claim until he has completed q certain
term of service; such a system would
attract men to serve, would incite them to
do their very best work. and would, when
they are no longer fit for service, enable
them TO retire, instead Of clinging on
desperately to something they can scarcely
hold.
The Department of the Judiciary has
always been one of the best conducted in |
the government Hawaii has rightly felt
Just and honorable pride in it. There
will not he any cavilling at the expendi- |
lures in this department An addition |
might be very fairly made to the expenses |
of this department, in the shape of clerk |
or secretary to the Police Justice Of |
Honolulu: this gentleman has very |
large amount of business coming before |
him. and he has to take the most careful |
and copious notes Of the evidence which |
Is presented; these he has to take down |
himself and it entails an amount of labor, |
which II Is not justiiable to ask from a
man. who has so much to do as he has. 1t
Is to be hoped that the Legislature will
look into this matter and deal with IT in a
liberal spirit: the duties OF the police
now that we have so mixed a
are by no means sinecure.
Coming TO the Foreign Affairs depart
ment there are three items at least which
deserve consideration. The first on the
ist Is decorations: this is supposed to be
a necessary expense, and will probably
continue to figure for many years to come;
on this head should be as
small as possible; there is nothing TO be
gained from them, and they are totally
without value, except in rare instances, to
men brought up under Saxon civilization.
The Latin and the Slav dotes upon gew-
yaws Of this kind. but the Anglo Saxon
pays little heed to them
The second item which deserves con
iideration in this department is the sum
u $4,000 which was voted for the edu-
'atlon OF Hawaiian youths abroad. This |
should never have figured under this |
department.: TO the item per - there is no J
objection, the only objection that can be
lrged will be as TO the manner in which il | ,
S administered That this nation should
lesire TO send its chosen youth abroad, ]
where their minds can be widened by
ontact with men. where their Judgment !
nav be better trained, and their interest /
u the worlds affairs be developed, is but I
Iatu1al But in sending these boys abroad, :
are should be taken that the proper
Material is sent. 1t is not the purpose Of
his article. be il understood, to criticize !
that has been done in the past, il is for I
he future il is written The Foreign b
lfice is certainly not the department
-hich can best understand who are the i
oys, or young men, suitable for sending c
way: the item ought TO find no place in =
lis section. but should be in the control !
the Educational Department. Then 4
OF only should these youths be the most
gible in the kingdom, but they should !.
2 sent 10 countries where they would q
,quire such knowledge as would be most 7,
kelly TO benefit the country at large. An 6
with military tactics, or 1.
practical knowledge Of the management
man-of-war is not going 10 give any @
'eat assistance 10 the Hawaiian nation. Z,
hat this country needs is 10 have good ID
actical engineers, thorough machinists, pl
,cto1s and school teachers Of its own. v
rain the Hawaiian TO do his duty prop ~
ly in these lines and you will have done d
great deal. This item no sensible man re
ould have any objection to see enlarged, rs
II he would exact the proYiso, before -
'tng FOR il, that the money should be 10
'operly expended. With the population | y
e have, with the interests involved, it is "
,rfectly ridiculous TO send youths 10 M
ally. France or Germany Granted that | !.
ey learn the language, granted that they U
'quire a certain amount Of valuable n
lowledge; it cannot possibly be Of the al
me practical value as knowledge gained el
the United States and Great Britain. p
gain, who is so fit as the Board Of Edu- er
non TO know who are the most suitable
'uthsSo sends The Foreign Office is abso- de
tely in the dark upon such matters: the =.
ispectoT Of Schools is really the man who NJ
best acquainted with the youthful mind Ct
roughout the group, and il should be ON y y
5 recommendation that pupils for this
irpose should be chosen The fairest Of