Hawaii holomua = Progress. [volume] (Honolulu) 1893-1895, 1894-04-02
PRO BONO PUBLIC0!
A Short Talk About
Taxes.

Minister Damon has made up
an appropriation bill in which
the ordinary expenses Of the gov
eminent are considerable red1c-
ed. When the government
makes mp Its mind that the absurd
cost of the army, and the special
police force is unnecessary, the
proposed appropriation bill will
be in good harmony with the ex-
pected revenue, and the public
affairs will be conducted on a
proper basis We regret that we
have not seen the proposed act,
and are therefore unable to Judge
of the details of it, but we hear
that q, proportionately speaking,
small amount of the revenue will
be devoted TO public works, i'm
provements and encouragement
of new industries and new enter
prises. The reason is, of course.
that the revenues of the country
are not what they ought to be.
1t is noteworthy that the reform
government, now in power, have
not been very brilliant in suggest
ing means and ways, whereby
to swell the income of the treas
ury. This is so much more
remarkable, when we remember
the ridicule and abuse heaped
by the same men, and their or
gans, on the heads of the cabinet
ministers who held Office during
the last Legislature. Every pro-
position from taxing playing cards
to increasing the duty on Injuries
was met with scorn and the
country was constantly told that
if only the opposition was in
power, the revenue would be in
creased mighty quick. For fifteen
months the gentlemen have been
"in," and the only devise for
improving the funds of the
country, has been the unrestricted
sale of new" issues of Postal
stamps, whereby a few thousand
dollars have been gained, Why,
NAV we ask, do not the Councils
revise the system of taxation and
do away with the discrimination
now exercised to the detriment of
the government and to the
righteous Indignation of the peo-
plel Is it because. the planters
are so strongly represented in the
Councils, that everybody seems
muzzledl Or is it that the natural
human instinct of our patriots"
makes them approve of the
"skirking" from taxationl The
country atlarge, the whole people,
would applaud and approve any
movement which would lead to
revision of the present system.
A well-known politician and
member of the Provisional Gov
eminent, whose sincerity of
purpose cannot be doubted, has
investigated carefully the present
system and has arrived at the
conclusion that the favoritism in
taxation shown to the planters. is
intolerable, and that a most
important issue is before the
people in breaking down the
taboo which surrounds the priv
eleged classes aud allowing the
tax,assessors TO get a just and fair
share out the we'll filled pockets
of our sacred sugar magnates. If
a man buys a house for 5000 he
will be made to pay taxes on the
$1,000, until he can prove-pro-
badly to a tax-appeal board-that
his property has deprecated in
value. II a sugar stock company
Incorporates with a stock capital
of 100000 it will be assessed
and pay taxes on perhaps $50 900
or less than the net income paid
out in dividends. A number of
plantations have paid from 20 |
per cent to 80 per cent dividends |
last year. Aud they have paid
taxes on an amount not exceed !
ing tho total Of their dividends.