The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-09-26
Ms. wElryEY on HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.


this morning the following clear
and suggestive interview with Mr..
H. NJ. Whitney. manager OF the
HAWAIIAN GAZETTE Company.
The interview was very generally
published in the British Columbia
and Sound newspapers, and is
replete with information and facts
which viii 20 far towards giving
the people Of the northern coast
correct impressions regarding our
commercial as well as our political
outlook. Nj. Whitney has shown
rare ability in throwing into g
couple OF columns facts and deduc-
tons, either expressed or implied,
sufficient TO I'LL g volume; and the
story told in these few thousand
words viii probably give quite as
clear and comprehensive an &C
count Of Hawaiian affairs, without
any display OF prejudice or passion
as sny thing yet penned regarding
the present situation;
Thirty-seyen years experience in
the Hawaiian Islands SIS 8 newspaper
publisher Snd public official should
make II. u. Whitney an authority on
affairs Of that remarkable group, and
that gentleman being 3 passenger by
the Wsrrimoo 70 Victoria, the Colon
iSt obtained from him some rather in
teresting particulars
MY papers he said, support the
Provisional Government because we
believe that the revolution-if the de-
position Of the Queen and her minis
tiers can be 50 called-Sayed the white
population from great injustice and
was in the best interests Of the whole
people. In ex-Queen LiliuosalGnIs
ministry there were two whites and
two natives, and in the legislature Of
forty eight members about half the
number were whites. The principal
judges and other important officials
were mostly white men. The imme-
diate source Of the trouble was that
the Queen proposed, by q new consti-
tuition, 70 dispOSSess the whites of
their offices and TO disfranehise them.
This could not be tolerated, and the
whites would, if necessary, have fought 1
for their rights, but fortunately they
were sble 10 secure themselves with
oct bloodshed.
The men who took Office were not
sdventurers- Associate Justice Dole
Of the Supreme Court, who left the
bench 10 become president of the new
government, was one Of the most re-
spected judges, and his colleagues are
men OF standing in the commercial
world, who personally have nothing
70 gain, but much to lose, through
giving up their time 10 the public af-
fairs Their government has been the
best IN twenty-five years, q fact read
lily admitted by Minister Blount, who
came from Washington if anything
prejudice against them. but after a
thorough investigation went away
quite satisfied that the public business
was being very wisely conducted
" The Queens intention had been
10 deurive the foreigners Of the
very concessions which they had
forced her predecessor, King kala-
ksgz, TO make when in 1857 the pop
ular Indignation drove the then prime
minister, the notorious sdventurer
Gibson, out Of the country. She in
tended to do this by means Of 8 new
constitution so sweeping in its unjust
provisions that at the first indication
Of trouble the only four copies in ex-
lstence were destroyed or hidden.
Though reward of $500 is offered for
a copy OF that document the Provi-
siOnal Government has not been able
TO secure one.
The Queen listened to very bad adj
vice, for she would have been hand.
s0mely dealt with after deposition
had she not been 50 stubborn The
Gown lands gave her an income Of
about so, 900 year, and her salary
vas some 81, go, and she might still
have been in receipt Of these amounts
but Tor her open hostility to the Pro-
visiOnal government, which led to the
cancellation Of her salary some four
or i've months ago, but having good
Income from her personal property
she i still well of. This saving has
helped materially in securing the sur
plus OF $4,000, the result of the Pro-
VisiOnal governments operations up
to the present. They have cut OF
great many useless expenses, includ-
ing the payments made to numerous
hangers on 70 the Queen
'Hhe annual revenue of the govern
ment Is about Sl,500,OG0, made up,
roughly speaking, Of 5000 from
customs, $4,000 from the personal
tax Of $ per head and the property
tax Of one per cert. on the assessment
valuation, and 500, 600 from rentals Of
government and crown lands, trade
and other licences, the school tax.
land sales and miscellaneous receipts ,
There Is only one governing body in
the Islands, there being no municipal I
institutions, so that these figures re- 7
present the whole taxation. The trade I
licenses run from $50 q year for re-
tailers 10 500 and upwards for whole
sale houses, according to the amount s
Of business transacted. The revenue |
from land sales Is not very large, as [
the government land is leased by pre- :
ference, these leases being put up at i
auction and disposed of to the highest $
bidder. The term Of lease Is usually Z