The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-07-16
THE LEGISLATURE.
Continued. from page 4.

Rep. Dole said it was only very
lately that they had heard the object
of this law-to raise taxation. His
objection was that it changed the
whole system of collecting taxes.
Not only was the owner taxed, but
the property also. The present law
was good one, taxing all property
that could be found. 1t was passed
as the result of long experience.
This bill did not reach any more
property. He contended that by
taxing the creditor through mort
cages no more money would be OBJ
tanned, while the debtor would pay
the taxes all the same. This was a
return TO the complex old law, un-
der which white men had to be en-
ployed as assessors, natives being
unable to understand the definitions.
The present law simplitied it so that
the assessor had only to find property
to assess it. The taxation of mort
cages would throw the bulk of COM
missions into the hands of the Homo
lulu assessors, taking them away
from the country assessors.
Rep. Hayselden begged the gentle
mans pardon. 1t said mortgages
should be taxed in the district where
the property was.
Rep. Dole admitted what the bill
said, but in conversation with Mr..
Neumann, the eX-Attorney-Genera
the latter said that would have to be
changed, and that he would prepare
an amendment to have them as
sessed in Honolulu. According to
the terms of this bill, mortgages
were real estate, and if property was
to be assessed where found, all the
mortgages being in Honolulu must
be taxed here. In that case the tax
assessor in Honolulu would grow
rich, while the country assessors
would grow poor.
Rep. Hayselden objected to this
personal application. The bill said
nothing of the kind.
Rep. Dole thought his argument
was perfectly right, because Mr..
Neumann said that would have to be
done. With regard to claims being
real estate, he said the assessor
could never tell the proportionate
parts. The proposed system was a
complicated one to replace the sim
pie system of the present. He
should like to know under that pro-
vision of claims being real estate,
how much Mrs. Swans claim ought
to be assessed.
Rep. Hayselden replied that it
should be as much as Hon. G. r..
Bishop was assessed on Queen
Emma's title to Aliiolani Hale, on
which the Government had to pay
back rent.
Rep. Dole said that was no answer.
He asked how much that woman
ought to be assessed. OF course
the house could pass law that a
horse was real estate, but that did
not alter its value one cent. The
bill was SO worded as to stimulate
assessors to exercise their wits so
that taxes should be swel!ed up TO
an enormous pitch. 1t was very
hard to assess timber land, as the
land might be valuable for the
timber, and the value of the timber
was gauged to IL great extent by the
locality. This bill taxes the land
and what was on it separately, and
both as real estate. (Mr. Hayselden
denies this.) 1t was hard to say
what this bill meant, and he quotec
it to show that the land and improve
ments were taxed separately. l
vines were to be taxed specifically
it would discourage cultivation. The
member for Honolulu said lawyer!
objected to taxing mortgages, bu
they were taxed under the old law
but in different way. 1t was ;
great deal simpler than this com
plicated and confused jumble. He
did not think they could amend it
and they had better wipe it out. The
present law was the best they eve
had. The only difficulty was tina
the tax assessors were incompetent
The discussion was continued b,
Messrs. Dare, Thurston, Judd, Kau
lukou, Brown and Cleghorn, afte
which the motion to indetinitel
postpone the first section was pu
and lost--l6 to 20.
At 5 10 the committee rose an
reported progress, and the hous
Immediately afterward adjourne
till 10 O'Clock tomorrow.