The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-06-25


stamps at the Custom House for the late biennial period
was 1850 against $94l42S3 for 1SS0Sl which
shows gain OF S564367 and reduces the loss of revenue
from sales of stamps to S100S493,
THE ACCOUNTS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
The books of the Finance Department have been we'll
and faithfully kept and reflect credit the Registrar of
Public Accounts An additional clerk has been asked
for in this department. and in view of the increased
laborS of the Registrar Your committee recommend that
an appropriation tor that purpose be granted.
LOAN ACT OF 1882.
Section of this Act which provides that all sums
borrowed shall be kept separate and not applied either
directly or indirectly temporarily or otherwise to any
purposes other than those specified in the Act
seems to have been StudiOuSly ignored the money
realized from the sale of bonds has been paid directly
into the general fund and diSbuTsed at the will of minis
tiers without any reference to the provisions OF the law
The issue of bonds has also been irregular for instance
we find that bonds amounting to $4,000 were signed
on the LIST of May 1888 and sent to San Francisco in
hopes OF finding purchaser there, but one being
found willing to buy they were returned and
in the Treasury As these bonds are endorsed principal
and interest payable in San Francisco your Committee
recommend that they be destroyed and that entries to
that effect be made in the books of the department
Another issue which also meets with disapprOval
was made the LIST of May 1888 when bonds to the
amount of $4,000 delivered to the Minister of the
Interior who used them as collateral security for sundry
liabilities incurred by that department. These bonds
finally realized the 18th of January, 1854 over
eight months after their issue from the Treasury The
total sale of bonds under this Act to the date of
examination has been S6S00OO add to this the of
realized from the Loan Act of 1876 which makes
increase OF the public debt under this ministry of
S91S9OO, and entails yearly payment of interest of
S53 SOL
Your Committee note with some surprise that COM
missions paid to taxcOecOr and assessors for the last
year certain districts have been raised to per cent
per cent has always been considered liberal commits
sion for district like Honolulu. which will strike the
House more orcby when they know that the Assessor
for Honolulu received compensation for his two months
work the sum OF S4Sl9.50
Notice OF this change was not published usual but
the several Governors notified of the fact the
10Th of January. 1884.
THE CUSTOM HOUSE
The examination of the books of this important office
showed that the accounts had been well kept
The revenue from this source has been large during
the period and to have been faithfully accounted
Two small items of expenditure attracted the aten-
ton of the Committee of SO, paid Oct
Nov l4th 1882 for one bale of bags short The Col
ectOrGeneral stated that these payments made
for articles delivered by mistake, lost in other
way. Such mistakes should not occur.
There also item of S34S95 paid September lst
1888 for watching kerosene oil 1t was explained that
the building of the kerosene warehouse so
delayed that large quantities of oil had to be stored in
an open lot near the old storehOuse and men employed
to watch it.
The CoectOrGeneral notified the Minister of Finance
Feb 9th, 1888 of the need for the new storehouse.
The attention of the COllectoreneral called to
the complaints that large quantities of opium being
Struggled into the country and that it reported TO
be cheaper in price than for many years and he was
requested by the Committee to make such suggestions
as occurred to him in regard to the matter.
The following is the statement which he submitted
upon the subject =
The only way to guard against opium-smuggling is
to increase the guards and night watchmen. boat
should be manned for night harbor-watch With this
in view, some $4,000 more than was appropriated by
the last Legislature has been asked for this year.
think that the amount of opium in the Kingdom,
and the amount used Is largely Overemated for these
reasons
During the past two years 699S Chinese have arrived
and 2001 have departed leaving increase of 97 fo1
the two years These 699S Cinnamon were nearly all
young, healthy men, who did not use opium and
who have not to any extent taken to its since their
arrival while very large proportion of the 1000 who
left the kingdom. opium users.
The heads of the police say there not as many
places in this city to-day where opium used there
were two years ago therefore much smaller quantity
would put the price down. and give the impression that
great deal was here
las to price there several kinds of opium. and
while brand put pin San Francisco might be selling
for ten dollars per half pound tin the best Hongkong
brand would bring twenty to twenty-five dollars for the
same quantity.
The plantation managers report that 1t Is used all
the plantations and that they overlook its use long
as the men do not it in such quantities to unfit
them for work.
Now, when the Opium Law went into effect the
managers did not overlook the using of opium but
the lookout to catch those using it and frequently
they had the Chnamens quarters searched so those
using opium did it so secretly that not great deal
was found Now it is used more openly and naturally
the Is that a deal mi used