The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-09
WE MUST THINK.

days Star, is more than ordinarily in
teresting in that it gives us fair ink
ling of our future financial position.
The income from all sources was $145,-
571.09 as against S207, 1857. Had we re-
ceived the average monthly receipts
from Custom House and Post Office our
income would have been $235,000 or over
for the month. But both these depart
ments no longer yield anything to the
Territory, having gone over to the
Federal government This may be
reckoned dminution of income equal
to fully 100000 a month or S,200000 a
year. This is a matter to think over
very carefully, in view of the clamor
which is being made for extensive ex
pendtures in all directions. Fortuna
tely we have surplus to draw on, but
the surplus will not last forever.
Analysing the receipts one notices
that though the Customs Bureau and
the Post Office have gone over to the
Federal government there were still
some receipts from that source These
of course were sums due before June
IA, though how they came in in July is
not clear. The clean up at the customs
gave us S9,S10.73 in lieu of 49,, $40 SO for
July of 1899 and $546.5O for the Post
Office in lieu of s9,423.73 for the same
month.
The receipts from the Interior office
which in July, 1899, were $24, 66069 do
not appear in the auditors account. A
good deal that the Interior office took
in now goes into the hands of the
Treasurer, and the rest into the Public
Works Office, since the Interior office
has ceased to exist, as such. All licenses
We're paid into the Interior office for
merly now they are paid to the Treas
urer, and it is his province to issue all
licenses. The Treasury collections for
the month amounted to $45, 1890 and
the Public Works Office paid s., 393. 90
for the month. The two together there
fore aggregate more than $4,000, which
one must presume represents what the
Interior and the revenue stamps used to
bring in. These two last fully amount
ed to little over $34, 900, so in this di-
rection there has been an increase of
$4,000, and we need it badly
Another new item in the returns is
the collections of the harbor master
These formerly went under the head of
Customs Bureau. From this source the
sum of $14,174.S9 was received.
The income is a fair one, but by no
means adequate to the needs of a COM
munity which requires roads, wharves
hospitals, school houses, and what not
The fact is before us that some method
nF
found. AS it is now the surplus saves
us, but we shall have to face the in
evitable of increased taxation. There
will be no reducing of taxes at the next
Legislature, unless all public works are
to come to a standstill.
The actual running expenses of the
government for July have been $751;
S54.49 against $135,3159S for the same
month last year. But this cannot be
regarded as normal, for the Board of
Health still has an aftermath of Plague
Accounts which swell up it's expendi-
ture to $47, 7302S instead of the normal
S18,5O0, which should be the expendi-
ture. Then the Foreign Office paid out
$4,491.07 larger sum than was paid out
in July, 1899, when it was in existence,
which it is not now. The band how
ever is paid out of this appropriation.
1t may be added that the Superintend-
ent of Public Instruction is not. There
are also payments on behalf of the
Customs Bureau $3,13125 and Postal
Bureau $4,45716 which must of course
disappear as business gets cleaned UP.
Altogether we may estimate that our
expenditures this month are $4,000 in
excess of the normal But even this
would make the expenditures for the
month of July, 1900, about. SIS, 900 great
er than for the same month in 1899, and
greater than our altered income by
$4,000 on the normal and nearly $500
on our present showing.
We have on the other hand some fair
prospects. We shall be relieved of
$4,OOO,0OO of loan indebtedness when
Congress meets, and we shall have a
very considerable sum due to us for
interest which we have paid. Only last
month we paid $9S, 101. 90 in interest, and
every cent will have to come back to
us. The Treasury will from this source
receive between 100000 and $500, 900,
ance. But the present cash balance will
look mighty small by the time we get
our interest returned.
The cash balance in the Treasury on
July 81, was $54S, OOS17. If we had not
had the plague it would have been
more than double the amount. 1t is no
use, however, crying over split milk.
One can't eat ones cake and have it.
and our plague cake was a very sour
one indeed, which has hardly agreed
with our financial digestion.
The Star writes in no spirit of the
alarmist about our finances. They are
in good shape, and thanks to the skill
and foresight of S. M. Damon, the for
mer Minister OF Finance, we are able to