Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-07-17
MERCHANTS WILL TEST CASES OF PRATTS
ASSESSMENT ON INVENTORY VALUE OF GOODS

Many matters of interest came up
before the Merchants Association at
its meeting In the Judd building yes
terday afternoon. There was a good
attendance Notwithstanding the fact
that the members had to climb four
flights Of stairs, the elevator again be-
| ing out of commission.
Important Report.
Geo. w. Smith presented a lengthy
and important report Of the public af-
] fairs committee, submitted by Il. A.
McInerny, was read and adopted, tho
committee being thanked for its thor.
ough work
Gigantic Advertising.
W. w. Hall made verbal report for
the tourist committee, referring to con-
sultation with the Territorial Secretary
and Treasurer concerning what funds
could be depended upon for advertising
work. The $4,000 appropriation under
the six months bill would be available.
Running expenses would come out Of
other funds. All money possible would
be put into advertising and the United
States would be flooded with pamphlets
and descriptive folders. Railroad and
steamship lines would be supplied with
matter appertaining to this Territory.
Numerous congratulatory cablegrams
sent to President Roosevelt, Governor
Taft Of the Philippines, Mr.. Mackay
of the cable company and various 9TH
ers, by the Merchants Association on
the opening of the completed Pacific
cable, through the courtesy Of the COM
pany. were read by Secretary Helm.
Kansas Wants Help.
A communication from the Mer-
chants Mutual Association of Kansas
1 City was submitted. Help was asked
for retail merchants and other suffer-
ers from the great floods. the letter
suggesting that all brother merchants
subscribe one dollar apiece for their
relief. Frederick Macfarlane. who had
handed in the communication. suggest
ed submitting the matter to the Mer-
chants Association of San Francisco
for further information. II the letter
was everything 1t purported to be the
of the Honolulu association would be
a small affair. The idea was to deter
mine the genuineness of the circular.
Frazier Submits Plan.
Charles Frazier, of the Pioneer Ad-
vertising Company, had communica-
ton before the association, submitting
also a copy of his pamphlet Hawaii
offering to sell the association one
thousand copies of the book at fifteen
cents each, half of cost price. The
matter was referred to the tourist COM
mittee. to act upon as they saw fit. w,
w. Hall and J. A. Gilman spoke on the
subject, suggesting that an edition Of
fifty thousand would be ready for the
Government in few months and tina,
the committee would be enabled to Sc.
cure all the pamphlets they could
handle, without paying for any now
Fred Macfarlane thought 1t advisable
to secure some Immediately so thai
there would be no delay In the work o
advertising. He thought It best not Il
wait several months for the Govern
ments edition. J. A. Gilman was o
the opinion tnat cheaper pamphlet
were better for free distribution. II,
thought Frazier's book should be SOLE
for a nominal sum to those who want
ed detailed information regarding tn,
Islands. Ten cents would be a pric
anybody would be willing to pay 70
such matter.
, Take, on Merchandise.
Considerable discussion was indulge
in over the matter OF taxes on mer
chandise. The tax assessor taxed mer
chants on the full cash value OF good
and maintained that the full cash valu
was determined by the Inventory. N
deduction was allowed for deprecia
ton or for consideration of what thos
goods would bring on forced sale
Prices varied at different times. TIL
general opinion expressed was tina
goods should be taxed on what the
would bring II the entire stock wa
sold out at once. II was not consid
cred fair to tax goods at what the
were inventoried. Many merchant
would be very willing to sell out thei
entire stocks for much less than tn
goods were inventoried at.
The opinion was expressed that
while. personally, the tax assesso
treated all with the greatest courtes