The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-10-21
THE
o ally BuT1rtiu
Pledged to neither Sect nor Parry,
But established for the 6eneft of all.
TUESDAY, OCT 81, 1890.

1t is true that MIR. Horner, whose
letter appears elsewhere, is chair
man of such q committee as he
describes. That committee was APP
pointed under a resolution moved by
Mr.. Horner, the preamble of which
set forth the expenditures for Homo
lulu as, to say the least, involving
injustice to the country districts.
The report of that committee favor
ed the expenditures mentioned, not
because Honolulu was entitled there
to, but because the works in ques-
ton were reproductive, that is,
would pay for themselves. In short,
the impression liable to be produced
on one who had read the resolution
was that the report was confession
by Mr.. Horner that he had wasted
valuable time dabbling in matters of
which he knew very little.
Mr.. Horner spoke and voted for
the Honolulu Fire Department item,
after submitting bill providing
that Honolulu should be taxed to
support that institution. If he could
have had the bill Immediately made
law, he would not have supported
the item; and he knows that if the
bill does come into effect, Honolulu
will from the date of that event have
to pay into the treasury the expenses
of running the Department to the
end of the period. Mr.. Horner has
certainly lost few opportunities of
invelghing against the capital city as
if it was pauper on the treasury,
instead of being the chief tributary
directly to both Customs and Inter
nal Revenue. If he reflect upon his
utterances before writing again, he
will not put this journal to the
trouble of hunting up words and
dates.
The general question of municipal
government is, under present cir,
cumstances, as broad as 1t is long.
Unless it can be proved that Homo
lulu's benefits from the general
Government are in excess of its just
proportion as contributor to the
treasury, it would be an injustice tC
the city to compel it TO pay as much
as it now does toward maintaining
national NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
postal, judicial, and other services
and at the same time support 1
full-hedged municipal establishment
Civic government for Honolulu
might, If the way was perfect,
clear, be long step toward tina
decentralization to which on every
side are heard fervent aspirations
But our rural taxpayers and thei
Legislative mouthpieces should re
member that one of the chief diff
culties in the way of Honolulu cut
ting loose from the general Govern
ment is gift from the country
The plantations have-lo, thes
many years-been turning into tn
town very heterogeneous popula
ton. This population would eithe
have to be absolutely controlled by
or else given an equal share in tn
control of, the civic establishment
, Municipal government for Honolulu
cannot be discussed with this pre-
blem excluded.
Mr.. Horner's letter is pleasing
way, inasmuch as it shows that til
wisest in their own eyes sometime
: stumble into the conviction that the
have become foolish in the eyes {
the world. Our honorable CORE
pondent, however, has not enhance
the favorable opinion of his ingel
r uousness, harbored by many of b
y political opponents, by emitting IL
5 necessary explanations of his publ
= actions which have been supplied
the foregoing comments.