Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-03-30
TAN nsEsprioNs.
twHiion Nv Tho BrLLnriN.l

The third reading Of the bill TO
exempt the Young Mems Chris.
tian Association and Sailors Home
Society from taxation comes up
in the Senate tomorrow, and the
question whether sectarian insti-
tutions can consiitutionally be ex-
empted from taxation will prob
ably be argued over again. II the
bill passes, IL will of course be fol
lowed by others OF similar ma.
ture. Both the Chinese J, NJ. c..
A. and Hospital are already ask
ing the same favor, and there are
many other institutions only
waiting the passage of the bill be.
fore the Senate to come forward.
Senator Baldwin has and is max
ing a strong fight against this bill,
and yet no one has done more to.
ward the support of the INCA.
He and those with him believe, in
spite of contrary opinion from
the Supreme Court to the Cabinet
at the last session of the Legisla-
ture, that it was the manifest in
tention of the trainers of the Con.
stitution to exclude from Govern
ment aid of any kind all sectarisn
institutions. The Supreme Court
say that remitting taxes is not the
direct granting of aid intended by
the Constitution, but there are
many laymen both in and out of
the Legislature who fail to see
that the exemption of the payment
OF $3.50 annually in taxes is not
one and the same thing as a direct
gift of the money. As was stated
in the Senate the other day, when
the opinion of the Supreme Court
was cited in support of the bill,
1t was to say the least strained
and far-fetched construction of
the section of the Constitution re-
ferred to.
The section of the Constitution
referred to reads as follows:
From and after December 81,
1895, no public money shall
be appropriated nor public land
conveyed to or for the support or
benefit of any sectarian, denomi-
national or private school, or any
school not under the exclusive
control of the Government" 1t
may be stated that the Y. M. @. A.
ask exemption from the pay ment
of taxes principally on the ground
of the benefits given the commu-
nifty by the various schools
and classes maintained under its
auspices. The Senators who OPP
pose the bill maintain that it does
not need an elaborate Supreme
Court opinion to interpret the
foregoing section; that it is so
plain that be who runs may read
and understand it. That the Y
nj. @. A. is sectarian institution
has not been deni-d, and the OPP
pontnts of the bill therefore say
1t has no right to government aid
of any kind. So strongly does Sen.
ator Baldwin feel on the matter
that with two of his brother.sen-
ators he has offered to pay the Y.
Nj. @. A. taxes out of his own peck
ct rather than have the bill pass.
With regard to the Sailors
Home. This is an institution
built on government land, and the
moment it ceases to be used for
the purposes it was erected for it
reverts to the government. 1t is a
worthy and necessary adjunct to
our shipping trade and its useful
ness will increase as that grows
larger. The institution, although
ably and economically managed,
has great difficulty in making
both ends meet. 1t would seem
to be equally deserving with the
Honolulu Library, which was
exempted from taxation by the
last Legislature. -