The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-04-10
ommittee on section 5 be adopted.


Carried.
Senator Baldwin moved that Section
16 be adopted. the committee having
re ported unfavorably.
Senator Hocking-I fail to under
stand why the committee should have
reported adversely. The amendment
expressly provides that the man who
works out his taxes on the road must do
a full days work before he can get a
certificate of credit on his taxes.
Minister Damon suggested that the
words lat the discretion of the Assess
or might be inserted to advantage.
Senator Waterhouse-I think the sec
tion is good. 1t is high time that the
poorer classes should be taken out OF
the same category as men in Oahu Jail.
If thess people are arrested for NON
payment of taxes they are given pris-
on suit and put to work on the roads
Senator Hocking-It has been said
here that a man with a homestead can
always secure work on plantation at
rs cents a day, and earn enough to pay
his taxes. 1t seems to me like good
business policy to secure those mems
services at so cents a day If they are
willing to exchange at that price. II
they are arrested under the law ii costs
IQe Tic Jaw oV
cents a day, and the taxpayer must
wear striped suit.
Senator Brown-To adopt the amend
ment means retrogression. 1t was done
here years ago and the implements
brought out by the man who was will
ing to work out his taXes were an o. o.,
a pipe and a calabash. That was all
they would bring. Such an amendment
would be bad for Honolulu. These ar
rests are seldom made in the outer dis
tricts, and if the amendment was pass
ed it would be an inducement for the
taxpayer 40 offer his services and
spend the day alongside his calabash,
enjoying pipe The Supervisor cannot
be with a gang of laborers all the time;
his duties require him to be anywhere
and everywheres
Senator Baldwin coincided with the
previous speaker. There are very few
people living here who want work but
who can get it on the plantations. 1t
is not the same as in other countries;
men can get work if they want it.
Senator Hocking-The Senator's ar
gument is inconsistent. If he was put
in Jail to work out his taxes he is as apt
to be lazy as if he was free.
Senator Wright agree with the
Senator from Maui (HockingJ. If was
Supervisor l do not think l would have
any trouble getting so cents worth of
work out of a man in a day Of ten hours.
L have no doubt Senator Baldwin gets
SO cents worth of work ont of the men
on the plantation in day. Baldwin
We are not Supervisory.
Senator Brown object to the
amendment for another reason. 1t
throws too much power into the hands
of one man. / do not wish to be under
stood as saying the road supervisors
would take advantage of it, but how
easy it would be for him to sell a GER
tificate for five days work for $3.50
when the work would not be done at
all.
Senator Schmidt-The amendment is
in the hands of experienced men, and
| am willing to leave it TO them. My
sympathies are always with the poor,
and / know the committee will do what
is best.
On call of ayes and noes the report
of the committee was adopted.
Senator Brown moved that the re-
port of the committee on Section Is be
adopted.
Minister Damon-I would suggest,
have the net profits and gross reve-
nue. of corporations from all sources be
considered. In this matter we are not
dealing with individuals, but with soul
less bodies If a corporation be under
obligations to anyone the net profits
could be reduced to nil. 1t is an easy
matter to have alleged expenses eat up
the profits so that there would be moth
ing in the way of dividends for the
stockholders. This might easily be
done through items of rebates, commits
sions freights, etc The Assessor
should have access to the figures rep
resenting the gross revenue as we'll as
the net. The net profits are not enough
for him to be guided by. He would
move to amend the following para
graph: I'm estimating the aggregate
value of such enterprise for profit there
shall be taken into consideration the
net profits made by the same, and all
other facts and considerations which
reasonably and fairly r upon such
Valuations by adding thereto these
words, "also the gross revenue from all
sources"
Senator Brown object to the
amendment as unnecessary. No corpo-
ration stockholders would allow every
thing to go to the manager and direct
ors. If dividends were not paid stock
holders would very soon look into the
expense items and see whether 500