The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-07-13

, At the regular quarterly meeting of
the Merchants Association, held yes
, terday afternoon, the question of mer-
, chandise taxation was discussed in a
, general way, and the Committee of
, Public Affairs, comprising Messrs.
James Wakefield, E. A. McInerny and
} F. L. Waldron, was directed to confer
} with Tax Assessor Holt in regard to
} many cases wherein merchants believe
they have been unjustly taxed.
Chairman George w. Smith presided,
with r. H. Trent as secretary. There
was good attendance of members. The
chair stated that several complaints by
members had been brought to the atten-
ton of the association, concerning tax
assessments. Mr.. Smith stated that a
year ago a committee from the aSsoci-
alton was appointed to wait on the Tax
Assessor to look into the matter of al
legged unjust tax assessments. A letter
system of dicounts allowed on stocks,
etc, of merchants, in making returns,
was read by the secretary. The case of
the Kash Company, Ltd, was quoted,
wherein the assessor had refused to
grant the returns according to the Kash
Company's figures.
Mr.. Smith went on to say that in
several of the returns made this year
the discounts had been properly made
as allowed last year. but in many in
stances the assessor had raised the in
ventory figures as they appeared in the
tax returns, thereby apparently nullify-
ing the discount benefits.
He said that Mr.. Hold was willing to
meet a deputation from the associa-
ton to arrange some satisfactory
method of fixing the assessments.
There should be some definite under
tstanding about these matters" said Mr..
Smith.
Robert Cation was called upon to
state his grievance. He said he had
deducted the Is per cent allowed under
the law, from his returns, but that the
assessor had Jumped the figures up
several thousand dollars. This appear
led to have been raised on some lease
holds which he held from the Bishop
of the leasehold so high as did the as
SCISSOR. He said he had come to no
satisfactory conclusion with the asses
! sor as yet.
Other members mentioned having
been raised by the assessor. In some
instances the raises, however, We're for
very small amounts, and seemed to
: have been added arbitrarily merely to
get round figures. One raise was $50
and the other less than a dollar. Mr..
McInerny said the assessor had ignored
| the returns of his firm, and raised the
assessment arbitrarily.
Mr.. Paris said the firm of E. o. Hall
and Sons had a leasehold on the Es-
planade which had been taxed much
Il higher than they considered it worth.
a Mr.. Trent said 1.-The tax on a lease
hold is an Ubiquitous tax" He thought
: they should be taxed for the fee simple
> value. The manner in which leaseholds
n ways. 1t should be either on the fee
l. simple value or on the leasehold
+ He considered the present method very
unsatisfactory In many instances.
I
r, assessing the leasehold against the les
j. see, probably took into consideration
=. the fact that many of these leases wer,
for long term of years, and whel
/, given, were presumably for a nomina
- figure. Undoubtedly the value of tn
land, in many instances, had increase,
largely, and it was against this featur
of the case that the assessor acted il
" raising the assessment.
D. The matter was finally referred to tn
IT, committee on Public Affairs, and mem
bers of the Merchants Association hav
10 ing complaints of any kind are aske
al TO place their complaints in the commit
Id tees hands for investigation.
Id The chair then brought to the atten
ed ton of the members a communica ito
from Messrs. NJ. A. Silva L. G.. Ma
re delroS and a. q. COrrea, representa-
j. a Portuguese immigration Society, VIII
r asked the association to take cognizanc
j. of the opportunity for bringing Portu
guese people here from the Azores an
Madeira Islands, for field work, etc. Tn
;. matter has the endorsement of Senho
Canavarro, the Portuguese Consul.
et The chair said it was quite necessar
no to the life of the mercantile communit
III. that there be az large a purshasirl
al population here as possible and th
:, Portuguese certainly belonged to the
(" classification.
tn The petition accompanying the lette
at of the immigration Society set fort
h that the Territory was in need of fel
=, hands for its sugar plantations. T.
Portuguese were excellent workers ar
-er home makers. and the petitioners h,
" lieved they We're am ong the best penp
* ever brought here. The influx of Asiati,
ne. was commented at some length,