The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-07-17
WORK DONE BY
THE MERCHANTS
SUCCESSFUL WITH SOME THINGS
IN THE LEGISLATURE AND UN-
SUCCESSFUL IN OTHERS.

The report of the Merchants Assoc
citation committee on legislative work
wa spresented yesterday to the asso-
citation by f. A. McInerny. 1t deals
with the taxation measures for which
the association worked in the legisla-
ture and other laws relating to the col
lection Of debts. The report says
THE first work presented to your
committee which called FOR immediate
&C ton was the proposal under County
Government to re-establsh the old sys-
tenn of levying license on the mer-
chants of the Territory both wholesale
and retail AS the business interests
of the country are already taxed in
other ways for all they can stand your
committee felt it incumbent on them
to combat this proposition with all the
vigor possible. An interview was
sought and obtained with the Republi-
can Central Committee in caucus, with
the members elect to the Legislature
and the views of your committee were
fully and freely expressed as opposed
to any such license. We were aided in
this protest by Mr.. F. W. Macfarlane
and Mr.. NJ A. Gonsalves and others,
who protested vigorously against any
such enactment. 1t was urged that the
burden already carried by the business
men was all they could bear, and that
a license for the privilege to do bust
ness was unfair and contrary to the
custom in vogue in the large cities of
the mainland, except such business
which called for and represented that
it was unfair to license those doing
business locally while commercial men
fl ON the mainland had free access to
our markets without taxes or expenses
of any kind.
I'VE represented that we were taxed
| on our real estate, our stock in trade
and tax on our incomes. That we
had to pay rents and clerk hire. That
w had to meet the demands of charity
and other subscriptions, and that COM
mercial concerns of the mainland were
under-seliing us by the taxes imposed
on us, they being absolutely free of any
tax, income or otherwise
I'VE were listened to attentively and
courteously, but the consensus of opin-
ion was that a license of some sort
should be imposed, not only as a mat
ter of rvenue, but as a possible check
to Oriental competition which was
considered as, and is, serious. We were
promised an opportunity to present our
views before the legislative committees
| during the session, but apparently this
promise was overlooked as we were
| Ibnever given an opportunity to appear
| but through the Individual efforts Of
your committee, the County bill was
passed levying a license of the least
! Objectionable nature, and which on the
| whole may be benefit to the business
men on the lines suggested already.
THE law as ii now stands RAIDS that
on the annual gross sales of less than
! Ten Thousand dollars the fee shall be
$4,000 For sales exceeding $4,000, and
not more than 100000, the fee shall
be 800. For sales exceeding $lOO, OOC
and not more than 100000 the fee shall
be S25, and for sales exceeding $500 OOC
the fee shall be $500. Your commit
tee feels that in view of the evident
determination Of the law making bodies
to impose license. the terms a sout-
lined above are not as severe as they
might have been, and we would urge
that the efforts of the Association be
continued looking to the eventual re-
. ptStl VI lnlS TAX, III conformity with the
practice in vogue in the older anc
larger cities of the mainland"
The committee reports that the effort
/ to repeal the income tax law was sum
maril yvoted down, but success was
achieved in passing new garnishee laws
aAd repeating the exemption laws oil
1901, under which collection of debts
was almost impossible. The report
concludes as follows:
I'm conclusion your committee would
say that these several enactments were
passed in the face of extraordinary
: opposition and solely through the ener.
getic efforts of Representatives Frank
Andrade and William w. Harris anG
that We believe it meet and right thai
the thanks of this Association be ex-
tended to these gentlemen for their able
and valuable services.
Respectfully submitted,
"E. A. McINERNY,
For Committee"