Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-08-09
rnnsr lssrssorsntrs.

We think Jhcre is very little homes,
difference Of opinion about the inn
proprieiy and injustice Of the recent
appointment Of Legislators to be tax
assessors II the gentlemen appointed
had obtained leave ofabsoncc, and had
gone 10 the performance Of their duties
in their several districts, a great many
citizens would have welcomed such
action as a relief from tie sort of legs-
Iation which the party in power has
so successfully sought 10 force upon
unwilling tax payers But had the
recently appointed tax assessors done
this no matter how 1t might have
accorded with the popular desire
they would not the less have been uu
faithful to their sworn duties as lcgis
lators. The tax assessors are far less
10 blame ihau the powers which caused
thur appointment Such useful ser
vice To- the ministerial party as has been
done by the taNassessor representa-
iiyes compelled recognition 1t would
have been appropriate and neither
indecent nor unjust to appoint them
/. tax collectors As it IS, they must
either neglect their duties rs legislators
1r their duties rs tax assessors. Either
neglect IS bad-the second worse than
the FIRST; but neither should be forced
upon them by their ministerial masters.
/ To show the feeling in at least one dis
trict, We print the following extract
from a private letter, written 10y a
| planter:
"Ou brilliant assessor, being unable to
come himself, has filed out a whole lot Of
blanks with number apparently from
aN years books and has sent them up to a
deputy to have flied and sworn to- But he
made no allowance for new comers, errors,
ETC., and sent up nc spare paper consequently
when the taxpayer goes 10 the mountain, in.
stead OF waiting as usual for the mountain to
come to him, in order not to lose the chance
u appeal, the mountain says "there is no
blank for YOU, and you'll have to wait until
one comes from Honolulu, OF "here is one
that was sent up for Chnaman, who has
gone out Of the district. You can take that
and change the name. Afer all it is cues
ton whether We will be allowed the righ, Of
appeal, for those papers must go TO the asses
Sor in Honolulu who alone can make altera.
,ions in them. At the same time, clause in
the directions on the papers. says that any ex-
ccptions thereto must be taken out by the
taxpayer balore the sIst., or, more correctly,
the exceptions (notice Of appcaD must be made
on that paper. or course the assessor m y
make changes in the valuations and yaiS.
them but the taxpayer will have no chance
to know it until too late for an appeal to be al
( lowed. Again, therefore, as in years past, The
taxpayer, through no fault OF his own but o
the government official will be denied and
deprived Of the right Of appeal Such
crooked work ought to be stopped. CAM
you draw the attention Of some legislator
there, to this point Assessors come around
atc, they do not give notification Of anJ
change they have made in the taxpayers vau
alton OF his property. If asked for such not
hcaiion on the spot, they pu, it off by say
that they want, to get in all the returns frs
and strike an average and then they will let yo,
, know within such date, and that is the enc
. of the matter unless you chase them up by
running all over the country lor them
Much has already been said by the
newspaper press of this city in repre-
hension of the conduct OF this years
assessments. The facts OF the case are
too plain to admit of any doubt as to
the illegality OF assessing people in the
manner proposed in many districts thi:
year and, through such blunderine
conduct upon the part of the govern
ment, il may become in some cases {
question for our courts, whether or no.
persons illegally assessed can be legally
forced to pay their taxes But, with ar
administration that has become notori
GUS for its evasions and open violation.
, Of law, nothing seems now very strang,
in this direction, while it may be har
rowing to the feelings Of The Kings sub
jects, any such things do not surprise
If one act, plainly illegal, can be done
why not another, and SO on withou
limit There is no law authorizin,
deputies to act as assessors, even i
there be none bearing directly agaist II
but their is law, based upon the pre-
sumption that leprosy is a contagious
: disease, which.requires the segregation
: OF its victims and while il might b,
; sufficiently indecent to appoint deput,
: assessors without legal authority, tn,
appointment of pronounced leper t,
: such post is so manifest an outrag
: Of law and all sense Of decency tina
: we may justly exclaim What next
Mr.. Samuel kamohakau, pronounoe'
by Mr.. George L. Fitch. regular GO,
= ernment physician TO the Leper Hospi
: tai at Kakaako, and to the government
: dlspensary in Honolulu, to be a lcpel
, is, at the same time appointed by go,
:, eminent as deputy taA-assessor at Ma
T. sawao. This man, afflicted with
y disease which the law recognized as S
dangerously contagious to the con
! munity as to justify taking away tn
= liberty OF its victims, is now a govern
!, ment appolntee to post requiring tina
! he shall mingle with healthy people i
; the frcest possible manner. To commer
> further upon such an outrage, whic
: nobody but demoralized brute coul
be capable OF justifying, would be 81
} perfuous. incidentally, however, "
: might say, that this man was among tn
: nine patients of the Kakaako Hospit:
y reported by the Advertiser as lcper
/ cured and discharged" in March OF la'
; year but that, according to the test
= mony given by Mr. Fitch and Nj
= Gibson, in the trial ofthe case of Fitc