The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-05-26
HOUSE.

The Appropriation Bill was brought
up for consideration. The first item
was segregation of Iepers, pay rolf
and, under this, salary Of physician,
S36OO.OO." Attorney General Smith
spoke of the Importance of the work
done by Dr. Alvarez at the leper re-
ceiving station. His salary, he did not
believe, should be reduced. The bac-
THEOLOGICAL work on leprosy should be
continued Rep. Gear spoke on the
matter stating that DR.. Alvarez had
a large practice outside of his work
at the receiving station where he spent
but two or three hours a day. Certain
ly he should not object to a reduction
under the circumstances. Rep.
Richards stated that the item under
consideration was one he believed
should not be reduced. He moved the
item pass at $4800.00. This was lost
and the item passed at $3600.00.
The various items under ''Leper Set
tlement, MoIokai," were consolidated
into one item, assistants and en-
ployes," and passed at $4,000 instead
of S19,O6S.00 as recommended by the
committee.
Third reading of House Bill 8, re-
lating to income tax, announced. Con
sideration of this was deferred and
Substitute Senate Bill 26 was taken
up in it's place. Reps. Robertson, Min
listers Smith and Damon spoke against
the passage of the bill which provides
for the striking out of Schedule E.
Notwithstanding the fOrcible remarks
made the bill passed second reading
by a vote of Z to 5.
The Attorney-General said:
There is probably no more difficult
subject to approach among the various
subjects for legislation than that Of
taxation. The more one has to do
with taxation and legislating upon it,
the more the difficulties are apprehend-
ed; and [ think it is a sound principle
of political economy, and the admin
istration of public affairs, that when
existing systems meet public require
ments fairly we'll they should not be
changed, unless for very good reasons.
''The present system which is at
tackled by the bill now before the
House was adopted two years ago and
has been in force ever since. Like all
new departures in the system of taxa
ton. great opposition was raised to
it; and strongly contested actions were
brought before the courts, testing
| every feature of that law; and the
construction of the law has been fully
and finally declared. The tax payers
| have became accustomed TO its pro-
| visions and the revenues Of the
| country have been very material
| Iy increased; as reported by the
Minister of Finance. 1t is anticipated
as shown by the Minister of Finance
report and the message of the Presl-
dent at the opening of the Legislature
that it will still more increase the
revenues in the future. There has
been a substantial increase in the in
} come from that law, which was very
marked departure in some respects
} from the previous law.
Now when we have barely becOm'
) accustomed to that law, it is propose
to start an innovation and bTanci
) out into another system Of taxation
which I believe is not a sound methOt
of procedure under the circumstances
) and not suited to our conditions. W
are in a transition state. We all un
5 derstand the conditions of population
society and business, and our pOlitica
position at the present time; and t.
} undertake now a radical departure
: after so recently making a very grea
) change, seems to me unsound.
LAS far as I understand the prtn
cipIe or idea of the income tax, it /