The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-01-18
VERY GRAVE PROBLEM
Continued from page u

SOohlHlued from page II
may pass the Legislature This ma,
be met by division of the taxes levied
between the Territory and the count,
officials. and then the question will
come up as TO whether the limit of tax
alton allowed under the law Will fur
nish enough cash to keep both Terri
torial and county governments running.
1t may be, indeed. that the Accounts
Commission will block county govern
ment altogether, if the County Act
Commission itself does not block it. Rut
that IS matter to be settled later
One thing is certain, if the islands
are to have the tax money and other
public funds divided among them in
proportion to the amount contributed
by each, some of the islands will not
receive nearly so much as they do now
in the way of public improvements
On Hawaii, for instance. it would Re
found that there is a shortage of some
thing like $150,000 when the matter was
considered on that basis. That is, Ha-
wall costs the Territory a good deal
more than is paid into the Treasury
from the island, and gets much more
than its proportionate share of appro-
priations.
Still another thing that would prob
ably be considered as a general charge
by the Accounts Commission would be
the expenditure made by the Boacd Of
Health, in which the people of all the
islands are interested alike. In like
class would be the expenditures that
might be made for the Agricultural
Experiment Station
1t will be seen from all this that the |
Accounts Commission has its work cut
out for it if it is going to draft bill
that will be acceptable, and at the |
same time keep equal and exact jus |
tice. The views of local statesmen run
somewhat largely to appropriation. |
and their people expect them to get the /
money. The point as to whether any |
other locality gets what is coming to !
it is too often a minor consideration. |
1t will be a part of the difficult task
of the Accounts Commission to devise !
a system of compromises that will be |
acceptable. If it also knocks out Coun- |
ty government for the time being |
well. no taxpayer is going to weep |
about it.
0 Q O x x * X x x x x x x X O O . !
E D. Tenney, who was in New York |
a part of the time when Mr.. Paxton |
was there nothing but encouraging |
words on the situation.
THE IAUKEA CONTEST.
Delegate Kalanianaole received yes
terday formal notice of the contest that
Iaulea proposed to institute against |
him. He states his intention of ca
bling to the islands his wishes regard
ing arrangements for taking the testi-
mony, as usual in such cases. The
matter will have no further place here,
further than the filing at different times
Of official papers. until the next Con-
gress convenes. If Iaukea persists in
bringing the case to Washington it
will eventually be heard by the House
Committee on Elections, and then by
he House The fact that contestants
are generally voted $4,000 for expenses
S supposed here to have had influence
With Iaukea, also the opportunity he
nay have of addressing the House in
lis own behalf
Chairman Olmsted of House Elec-
ions Committee No. has informed
he Delegate that a meeting will be
leld January 10, when a date may be
ixed for a hearing on the protest of
he Home Rule party, mentioned in a
ecent letter.
ERNEST G.. WALKER.