Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-04
Her Evasive Sugar Planters Cor
nered by the Assessors.
CATTLE In TIE SANDWICH ISLANDS
Persevering Efforts Made to I'm.
prove the Common Stock.
j E A L GU s AIRY n
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.


trious and nearly incessant plying from
Honolulu. For several years, with two
other steamers, she formed a line from
Sydney to San Francisco. Some ten years
ago she exchanged her double compound
engines for triples, and has since then been
making monthly trips between here and
California. Latterly she makes the round
trip every twenty-four days, with six-day
passages each way. Besides the Australia,
we have two monthly lines of steamers
from Sydney, one to San Francisco, the
other to Vancouver. There are also boats
calling here between Yokohama and San
Francisco, averaging four weeks apart. AL
together there are five steamers a month
each way although occasionally there will
he an interval Of fortnight between them.
Nc st of us then feel impatient to get or
send news. There are a few still left who
can console ourselves by recalling the days
OF thirty years ago, when all mails were
from two to four weeks on sailing vessels
And some old Stagers tell of fifty years
9gone, when all mails came around Cape
morn, ana letters were often ten months
old. Those We're The good old times before
the days of telegraphs, photography and
Kerosene, when passengers Jared on salt
junk and hard tack, unaleviated by canned
or deslccated provisions, or anything better
than sour and wormy flour.
Assessing the Sugnr Planters,
A Few weeks ago senate committee. to
whom had been referred the subject of i'm
proVements in taxation called for a de-
tailed statement of the assessments of all
sugar and other corporations in the repub-
Tic. 1t was notorious that these were in
adequately assessed. and notwithstanding
their wealth were not bearing even one
nan OF their just proportion of the public
burdens. The figures We're given to them
from the tax Office, but were accompanied
by a stipulation from the minister of
flnance that they should not be given to the
public notwithstanding the fact that the
assessors books are by law open to inspec-
ton. Minister Damon is himself very solicit
tous for reform in this matter. but was I'M
doubtedly under strong pressure from the
sugar planters and agents to prevent pub
llclty. A good deal of Indignation was free
ly expressed about this secrecy concerning
the very facts the public most wanted to
know. King Sugar was compelled to sur
render. and last week the whole list was
published in each of the daily papers,
1t was very interesting reading as ex-
pected. Thirty-seven sugar corporations
were listed. which had a total capital stock
OF s2I'se2 900 The greater part of these
Shares sell at very considerable premium
The whole could hardly be bought for S;I-
oo,O~. 1t appears that all this great and
productive wealth. which certainly yields
last year paid only $1o1 ,114.S9 in taxes At
l per cent on their nominal value, which il
the legal tax. this is less than rs per cent of
what they ought to pay. The legislature is
hkely to do its duty, and provide measures
which will secure a more equal assessment
compelling sugar to sustain its proper share
OF taxation. Probably at least another
100000 will, from this source be added to
the revenue next year. r J.
Mainly for revenue, but partly also with
the object of protection to trades the legis-
lature has been busy in revising the system
Of licenses to the various trades and pro-
LESSONS, with several additions to the num-
Der of those licensed. For example thew
have taxed the BARRIERS $50 chair, and this
is done by the desire of the English-speak-
ing BARRIERS themselves, in order to cut off
the competition of Japanese BARRIERS who
have set up numerous shops, where they
shave and cut hair at half and quarter
prices. The medical practitioners are en-
ergetlcally kicking against a 80 license for
the doctors. who are numerous here as else
where, and whose rates of charging are
high. They claim to be public benefactors.
doing much gratuitous work.
Stock ImpOrtntiOns.
Senator McCandless. who is interested in
stock raising. has this week been forc:bly
demonstrating against a proposed license for
the right to import stock from abroad He
claims that this tends to favor monopoly.
The bill has been defeated. One reason as
signed for the tax was to secure better con-
troll in the case of diseased animals nany
of which are shipped here. Many WORKOUT
horses and mules are also sent over. Up to
a recent date there has been a lack here of
thoroughbred cattle, horses and sheen
There is now probably a fair supply in the
country of the best Breeds and any grower
Of stock can easily procure on the spot such
animals as he may require to grade I'D his
herds and f1ockS. In past years these is
lands have been remarkable for the vast
number of inferior animals ranging over
their urlands. This was chiefly owing to
the stock of cattle which were originally in
PRODUCED, being the wild Spanish cattle from
California. 1t was also due largely to the
total absence in the native mind of any
notion of hereditary propagation of SUI
perior qualities in animals. A native would
cheerfully put good mare to the meanest
scrub of a stallion. Forty years ago the
country was overrun with such stations be-
longing to natives, until a tax of 80 was
placed upon all stations not specially an
proved by commissioner.
The discoverer Vancouver landed the first
bull and cow on the Island of Hawaii in 1893,
exacting from the king promise that their
progeny should be undisturbed for twenty
five years. These cattle multiplied RAPIDLY
on the interior uplands and wooded, grassy
slopes of the great mountains At the end
of the period assigned the interior was filed
with tens of thousands of wild bulls and
cows, which were terror to travellers
Spanish vaqueros were introduced from
California with their horses to capture and
handle these cattle. Calling themselves
Spaniards or EspaSnols. the natives have
ever since called the cowboys Pa-ni-o-lo To
tnlS uay cattle are universally handled with
the lariat and Mexican saddle, heavy and
high-pomeled, so as to enable the horse to
take the full strain of the bullock upon the
lariat and saddle horn.
1t Is absolutely impossible to handle the
wild Spanish stock of cattle without the
larist. The Australian works with the
long. heavy cattle whip ands low English
saddle. His cattle. although running wild,
are the descendants of tame, high-bred
En- glish stock. They have none of the fe-
1ocity and imDetuoLsness of the Spanish
breed, which have run wild from early
ages. They are long-korned, long-limbed
beasts. You know them as Texas steers"
and they have created a race of Cow
boys" with a. hardihood peculiar to their
severe task. Here we have hundreds of
Kanaka "paniolcs'' Of similar craft and
daring.
Grading Up Their Stock.
Durham, Devon and other choice tame
breeds began to be brought here in small
numbers some forty years ago, and on a
majority of the cattle ranches the stock
have gradually been graded up, SO that
probably two-thirds Of the cattle on these
islands are now not mere than half wild
breed. On Hawaii, where the wild cattle
still hold much possession of Mauna Kea,
that breed predominates. Their use is
chiefly for beef, hides and tallow. AS work.
ing cattle they are comparatively .untracta-
BILE. Their beef is not the best For dairy
purposes they are worthless. A COW of