The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-07-22
AFTERNOON SESSION.

AFTERNOON SESSION.
The House reassembled at l:43 Pm.
ORDER OF THE DAY concluded.
Minister Widemann presented the
answers to questions by Rep. Kapahu.
SECOND READING OF BILLS.
Bill e, relating to imposing a rev.
enue tax on playing cards.
Minister Widemann read statistics
prepared by the Collector General of
Customs that yearly impOrtatiOns of
playing cards amounted to about 440S
dozen packs, aggregating nearly
S52S9. 60; therefore, the bill is not a
"small mouse,n but n good sized rat.
Noble Macfarlane-The Minister OF
Finance will remember that he showed
me this bill previous TO It's Introduction
into the II use, and at that time | told
him that it appeared to me 20 be in con-
flict with the spirit OF the United States
Reciprocity Treaty. When the bill was
referred to our committee in the regular
order of business, we took pains 20 get
the best legal opinion on this question,
and that opinion was that it was in viz
Ia ion Of the spirit OF the treaty. To levy
an internal revenue tax on an article is
practically levying a tariff impost, and
this attempt TO call this revenue tax is
only whipping tie devil round me
stump. The United States have g T.
tainly broken thajr treaty Obligation, Dv
the introduction al ihe Mckinley Bal,
for by the operations OF that Act our
sugar interests were deprived 81 cer.ain
advantages under the treaty, a d II il
cannot be charged rs bad faith OH tn"
part OF that Government, il was no lrss
great injustice to US when We had 4
right to expect that we would be protect
ed in the enjoyment of these special adj
vantages up to the term OF expiration Of
that treaty. l say, Mr.. President, that
it is not outside of the possibilities that
we may, upon proper and dlgnitied rep
resentation OF our case, get some COM
pensation for the injury done to our sugar
interests, if not in the shape of compen-
sation, some concessions that may be OF
advantage to us. Why, then, should We
Jeopardize those chances, however slen-
der they may be, for the sake of the pal
I try revenue that we may get from play
/ ing cards. If this is a revenue measure,
! then let us go in for revenue on a proper
scale. Take those articles which are
now free by treaty, and from the top to
| the bottom, GO through them for pur-
poses of revenue. If we are going to
commit breach OF that treaty, let's do
! it to some purpose. We are now on the
verge,of national bankruptcy for need oil
| revenue, and we make puerle attempt
! in that direction and then stop. 1t
would be the wisest course for this House
to lay the bill on the table until we are
better prepared to act. do not ask for
! indefinite postponement, but [ do urge
! that we must not be preCipitate in our
action on the bill at this time.
Rep. Bush held that the bill was not
a contravention of the spirit of the ex,
! listing treaty with the United States
| He asserted that that great country
would never care whether or not she
| has violated the spirit of the treaty
yet small Hawaii is constantly in feal
of overstepping it. He renewed his
motion to impose a tax of 20c OF
each pack of cards.
Rep. Kamauoha moved an amend
ment to levy a tax on all cards except
those from the United States.
The President told the hon. member
that the amendment came in too late
a motion to lay it on the table wa:
/ put and lost.
Noble Young said that not being
we'll versed in law, he was not com
petent to judge whether or not it wa:
violation of the treaty, but as re-
CARDS business, he would say it is not
4 recent action of the United States
had greatly injured this country.
At 3:l5 P. NJ, Rep. r. w. Wilcox
moved the previous question. Carried
The motion to insert 2Oc. tax PEI
pack of cards instead of 10 c. was pu
and carried.
Noble Thurston moved that the bill ht
referred to the Finance Committee, with
instructions to so amend it that all arti
ces admitted duty free b. treaty with
the United States should be subject TO &
ten per cent. tax, to be collected through
the retail stores selling them. There
gentlemen, is the bald proposition. Act
up TO your convictions. Ii you can L.
gally impo a ten-cent duty on playin
cards, which are free by treaty, by col
Letting the duty at the retail stores, in
stead of at the Custom House, then YOU
can do the same thing on all ether ar;i-
cles admitted free by treaty. The terms
OF the treaty are now against us. The
statistics sNo~ that last year the fnan
cial benefits OF the treaty were $34 900 in
favor OF the United States. We are los.
ing hundreds OF thousands OF dollars OF
duties every year by reason OF our treaty
letting United States goods in free. L
the Minister OF Finance has discovered a
method OF evading the treaty and col.
lecting "a duty on goods therein ad
mitted Tree, why is be wasting
his time drawing laws to col
lect ten cents, whenthere are hun
dreds OF thousands OF dollars in sight
We never needed the money more than
we do now. 1t seems to me that it is q
fair commentary upon the financial pol
icy and methods OF the Minister, and tha
he may appropriately be be called ten
cent Minister. when he might be a hun
dred thousand dollar one, ii he took