The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1895-07-05
CORRESPONDENTS.

LII tne Dullet1n appears tne syn
opsis of law to regulate drummers'
licenses in this country.
1t seems to me that tinkering with
laws is dangerous matter for anna.
teur hands to indulge in, and care
should be taken in forcing the Su-
preme Court to give a deliberate
snub when the same could be
avoided.
Now let us see where the sense
comes in with regard to this drum
mers' law. Is this a Republic Of
Oahu or Republic of Hawaii The
constitution of Hawaii declares all
men equal before the lawl The law
is made for all the islands sitting in
legislative council in Oahu, it passes
laws which applies to the whole ISL
ands aud all must be equal. | pay
license to trade to the Government
OF the Hawaiian Islands and claim
the right by that license to trade
where / please in the Hawaiian ISL
ands, and am certain that the Su.
preme Court will uphold me in this
position. IL the different islands
we're different States of the same
confederation then the case would
be OF another character entirely.
1t seems to me absurd to think
that any sane individual should
bring 10 law OF such a question
able nature. For the sake OF argu-
ment let us. see where such law
would end. have an established
business here, pay taxes, license and
customs duties to the Government.
/ am the Hawaiian agent (not Oahu
agent) for the Domestic sewing ma
chine. decide to take a trip to
Lahaina, and my old friend, Capt ain
Taylor, says to me, "Ssud me up a
No. 4 Domestic sewing machine"
and have to reply, "you write that
in letter to me at my store and /
will attend to it," The position
taken by these law makers is absurd
because their law would be practi.
cally imperative and why should
the statute books be numbered with
such laws9
Take the Honolulu Iron Works
for instance. They supply sugar
machinery to the different planta-
tions. They are requested by a
plantation on Maui to send up a
man to examine into the state of
their mill and machinery with a
view to necessary Improvements. In
order to avoid five hundred dollar
license the man tells the plantation
manager, II can't go into figures
and cost of improvements here, but
will write to you from Honolulu
Thus the proposed law is broken Oh
set aside. Such laws are not good
laws.
| take it for granted that it is
sound judgment never to place
either by law or otherwise, any EN-.
barge on the free circulation Of
trade within the jurisdiction of q
whole State or country. The mo
ment this is done an injustice is
bound to be worked somewhere
Under the old license law retail
license was fifty dollars and a
wholesale one was one hundred dol
lars, while under the new law a
more equitable license prevails from
the fact that all merchants whether
wholesale or retail, pay on the
amount of business done, and they
subscribe to their statements under
oath.
To now tax the drummer from
any house is double taxation, which
is contrary to the intent OF the con
stitution.
England, the greatest commercial
country in the world, has no taxa
ton Of any description on its bust
ness, but rather offers every induce
ment by low rates of interest by
which the volume OF its business
may be increased.
Let the law against foreign inva
sion OF our internal trade by persons
ubn onnt ~;bufa not hinu ~ tha ,ynor