The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-06-07

adopted and the item mentioned was
placed in the bill under consideration
so that now the people living on
PunchbOwl slopes need have no further
cause for complaint. The matter OF
removing the magazine has been
hanging fire for a long time and even
at the last session of the Legislature
it was brought up.
The appropriation bill was now on
in full blast and various items were
considered and disposed Of Before all
the items were finished. Rep. Gear
moved that some of the other bills be
brought of for consideration in order
that the Senate might be given some
thing to work On. This was objected
TO but it finally carried and substitute
for bill 23, electric light line eminent
domain, of the House was brought up
for consideration. An amendment
was submitted by Minister Damon
This was referred to a special commit
tee and further consideration of the
bfll was postponed until the commit
tee hands in its report.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The appropriation bill was again
taken up for consideration in the after
noon and various items were discussed
and passed or rejected.
A report of the Senate Finance Com
mittee showed a complete investiga-
tion into the matter of the petition
from A. K. Kunuiakea asking for an
item of $3.50 in the appropriation bill
as reimbursement for the payment of
double taxes. The committee found
that the case had been as stated by
the petitioner and recommended that
an item for the amount mentioned be
inserted in the bill. This was done
without further parley and the petit
toner will have the money refunded
to him.
The interesting part of the afternoon
session resulted when House bill So, re-
lating to the poll tax, was taken up
for consideration. 1t was well known
that the House was about equally
divided on the measure and that made
the consideration of the bill SO much
more interesting.
Rep Kaai was the first speaker. He
moved the bill be passed without fur
ther ado. 1t was certainly d good
measure and one that every one of the
members should vote for. A poll tax
was certainly out Of date Some of
the members had advanced the argu-
ment that a repeal of the poll tax law
would work to the advantage Of the
Japanese and Chinese. This was GER
tainly wrong light in which to cons
slider the matter. What about the
Hawaiians? He certainly would not
like to be buried with the thought that
there was a tax upon himself.
Rep. Pogue was in favor of the in
definite postponement of the bill as
recommended by the committee. The
people on Maui had told him they
were against any such proposition.
Minister Damon said that he was
surprised to hear Mr.. POgue speak as
he had. The only reason the people
of Maui had spoken as they had was
very probably on account Of the fact
that they were afraid of the member
and did not dare to. express their hon
est opinions. One of these days the
people of the country would rise up
and protest against thG poll tax and
then what would happen. They would
refuse to pay the tax and nothing
cOulu De uOne 10 IuSm lOI LuGy WbIG
on the side of the right. Why should
a poor man be made to pay a poll tax
while the rich were not being taxed
in proportion to their respective
means? Here were people wearing
fine clothes and going to foreign places
to spend their wealth while, on the
other hand, were men struggling along
and making just a bare existence. The
latter were forced to pay as much as
the former Money was being apprO-
priated for state entertainments and
other kinds of entertainments and
more money was being spent on hos
pftality This was all coming from the
people and many Of the contributors
were unable to purchase decent clothes
for themselves. Was such a state of
affairs right? The wheels of readjust-
ment had been set in action and it
was to be hoped that they would con
tfnue in action until the poll tax, the
road tax. and the school tax had been
(H1ntiDued IN Fifth Pape1