The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-06-29

Ing But we will say this much,
that our impression has always
harmonized with the view expressed
by the llilo people. In fact, we
never credited the creators Of the
Office with any other intention than
to make comfortable billcts for
needy friends. If those gentlemen
were actuatod by nobler consider
ations, 10y disinterested motives for
the good of the state, then we have
done them a very great injustice, a
cruel wrong, and shall envelop our
selves in sackcloth and place
bucxetful of ashes on our head as
soon as conviction of guilt touches
our tender part. Passing over the
second part of the petition for the
present, we would remark that there
appears TO be no grave objection to
conceding the taxpayer the option
of working out his road tax, if he
prefers that method of payment,
and will give an equivalent of the
coin assessed in labor. The road
tax is intended for the making and
repairing of roads, and roads can
neither be made nor repaired with
out manual labor. Then why not
allow those who wish, to contribute
work instead of wealth? The poor
mans labor is his capital, and it is
often more convenient for him to
part with a portion Of it than to hand
over an equivalent in gold or silver,
of which his stock is small. Now
returning to the second prayer of
the petition, "that a board of road
supervisors be appointed in each
district, to serve without pay" we
announce it as our humble opinion
that herein is embodied an idea of
craftsmanship" marked by the
impress of that common-sense al
luded to ut the commencement Of
this article. The people of Iilo
believe in local self-government,
and they ask for it in the form of a
local road board. Their advanced
views are tending in the direction
taken ages ago by all free and en-
lightened countries, where decen-
tralization has long since been
adopted as an indispensable element
Of liberal government. Elilo asks
to have a road board appointed for
each district throughout the islands,
and this is just exactly the form of
local self-government suited to the
country's needs and condition. A
board, say of five members, for
each district, ''to serve without
pay" should have the expending of
the local road tax, and then the
member for Makawao would have
no further occasion to complain of
unequal distribution. The Hilo
people have sent up this petition to
the rulers of the country. Have
they that simple, child-like, implicit
faith which expects favorable
answer? If so, it is good for them,
for they will have to live on faith
for long time. We say this be.
cause our faith is very small, SC
small that we cannot put our hanC
on it; and what makes it so small
is the perceptible tendency of those
who govern to centralize all power
authority, and control. We have
here in the capital city board OF
health, board of immigration, and
a board of education; but they are
all constituted mainly of cabinet
ministers, or are entirely controlled
by cabinet ministers, which is about
the same thing. The nominal eXis
ence of these boards isa stupid farce
in which sensible men can see neither
sense nor fun. If Capitalization il
the order of the day in Honolulu
what else can the people expect a
Hilo. We are sorry for you poo
Hiloites, but if you can keep VI
your faith and manage to live on it
you might pull through to free
and more liberal era. If not, yor
had better hang your harps on tn
mango trees and sit by Hilo bay
signing yourselves away into tn
land where politicians cease fror
troubling and editors are at rest.