The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-07-18
CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

CITY AND COUNTY GOVEKNmEN''
The morning organs posltloil On 10 to
will cause no oH
charge IL with being a harmonlca'-
Bulletin.
49, Ad,,artiser does not wish to see
Hawaii harmonious for anything thal
is likely to do it harm. what the Du
Istin calls local seif-goVernnieht
means giving the people more coS'is
sx,s+ann of rule than they need or are
now able to pay for. Times are naro.
incomes have been cut down ana 'aAes
ara heavy in a degree which makes any
,rosnec1 of their increase to be depior-
"a The property tax of one per cent
would not be large If levied on 'ne
hosis of saw. a California assessment
but the assessed valuation OF rear
nroperty here is nearly if not quite thae
of ITS market price, the latter peihs
stiu subject in some degree, to boom
irnnuIses. The income tax OF TWO Per
cent is to be added to the total ana
thera is a tax on personality and 20
,..nita noII tax. The whole sum is
far higher than most people from the
mainland are accustomed to ana I'D tiie
present state of business 1t is TOO hlsii
for us. rs
what we get for the outlay is a gov
eminent which cannot be attacked as
dishonest or incompetent, and IN ~hich
avorx, mart OF the Territory has at least
q legislative voice. rs it not govern
,nent enough for the population? OF
the 15s. 600 people here, at least sV'V'o
are not and will not become cltizehS'
leaving a few over 10000 to stay put.
They do not need a. system which Woulo
Ia ample for 700, 600; and, as we nave
already said, they cannot anord II. II
was Mark Twain's jest in the days Oh
the crown that Hawaii had the ma
cbinerv of an ocean steamer packed III
a sardine box. But nearly all that ma
chinery remains, and though the ooN
is still the same, it is proposed TO treoie
the machinery plant.
Although the system we are unoer 10
named Territorial it is not much oll-
ferent from one of a municipal CHAR
actar save in respect to cost. HaWaii
has only about enough inhabitants for
a city OIL InG llllIQ NioS'' - -
of the second class. It's legislature
handles smaller concerns than do many
Boards of Supervisors; the Governor
has fewer responsibilities than have
many mayors of cities. Things work IN
the municipal way and they WORK
cheapiy and well. Can any one show
where they would work better by being
TO earn
the difference in cost? Is it not best 10
use the Territorial government for mu-
nicipal ends while times stay as they
areq Surely it is a good way to set
public administration cheap
4 of course there is an element here
that does not care how much in taxes
the other fellow may have to pay
thinking to escape itself. But no one
can get away from his share in public
expenditure. You merely rent your
house. leaving taxes to the landlord
But if his rate is pushed up he tries to
get it back in rent from his tenant and
unless houses are drug in the market
he succeeds. Remember this; AS
TAXATION RISES TEE COST OF
LIVING TENDS TO INCREASE. Is
not that cost in Hawaii large enough
now?
The Advertiser does not ask or ex-
pect that Hawaii shall go on forever
without city and county government
If the Territory grows as we hope il
may, an administrative subdivision
must. in the nature of things, come
about. But the opportune time has MOI
arrived Any time may be suitable t.
those who want Office and contracts
and the like: but the Advertiser Away:
approaches this question from the poin
of view of the taxpayer and of the cit
izen who wants to cut the Territorial
coat according to the cloth.