The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-12-03
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.

class show a unanimous anu lHlehsS
feeling against it, and base their OBJ
jections upon the following grounds:
/. A municipal charter would neces-
sarily and greatly increase taxation
The Territorial tax would stay as it is
or be raised. and the municipal tax
would be added to it. Should a county
be formed three sets Of taxes would
have to be paid, and these, when vot-
ed by men not charged with the duty
of paying them, could hardly be other
wise than high High taxes always
threaten prosperity by driving home
seekers away they retard or repel in
vestment and, by adding to rents and
to the price of goods sold in rented
stores, they make the cost OF living
greater to the masses. Already i'm
portant building projects in Honolulu
are held in allegiance because OF the
I
fear that city and county taxes may
check local development and make
real estate improvements less profita-
BILE than they have been.
II. A municipal charter would null
tiply offices; county government would
Nor IN
compared the official plant of Hawaii
to the machinery of the Great Eastern
packed in a sardine box. Under the
plan of government which the active
politicians urge, the sardine box would
have the machinery of two or three
Great Easterns We are afraid the
pressure would split the box. 1t is, OF
course, urged by those who want the
charter that many of the officials
would work for nothing, but none of
these theoretical souls are willing to
pledge their services on those terms.
We must expect, if we set up new Off
ces. to be confronted with the dictum
that the laborer is worthy Of his hire.
THE refrain Of every office-holder will
be that of Kiplings ballad-pay, pay,
pay!
| III. Municipal government presup-
poses an intelligent electorate with
mutual interests and responsibilities.
Such an electorate does not exist and
will not exist for many years to come.
The majority will pay but a slight
percentage of the taxes they vote; and
we shall be confronted with the same
! conditions as between taxeater and
taxpayer as those which were found
, In most of the Southern States just
previous to ths'time Senator Tillmar
, calls "the Overthrow
, "
. In the Sruth this situation was
J, changed by the shotgun and the tissue
ballot. In Washington d. c., by al
most unanimous request of the non
office holding citizens, municipal gov
e ernment was abolished and the rule O
! a commission organized in it's place
!. These are the alternatives of relic
: which, if the plans of the office-seek
a ers carry, must yet be chosen here
We hasten to say that Honolulu will
h not resort to the gun or the tissu,
: ballot; neither will it endure ineffi
n cient and extravagant municipal gov
eminent. In the end such condition
o will have to be dealt with as was pre-
!, sented by the road board law of 1890
: That law provided for elective roat
q boards in almost every district of Ha
; wall. The most incapable men wer,
: chosen; losses through Incompetence,
Y and fraud were common, and when tn,
6 next Legislature met, the system wa,
It abandoned. Viewing the electorate a.
IL stands in this city, the responsible,
: public could hardly be expected Il
!, tolerate its rule for more than twt
a years. Are We not inviting troubl,
g and costs, and futile experimentation
s by urging a municipality now? Is i
u not wiser to wait until Honolulu grow,
e In the number of responsible citizen.
TO an extent which will assure govern
+ ment by those fitted to exercise it
; rather than by those who lack ever,
s essential qualification except citizen
e ship?
If 1t is no argument to raise the or,
Il or majority rule. Often maioritieS orr