The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-02-16

Notwithstanding the many meritor
lous demands upon the Territory. We
should devote our attention to retrench
ment rather than to an increase of tax
alton, to economy rather than to liber
allty. An excess of running expenses
over receipts, in the conduct of public
affairs, indicates bad finance, and i,
should be our constant aim to balance
the account ~ securing the reduction
of expenditures rather than by an in
crease of revenues.
We have, with one exception since
annexation, expended more money each
year than our revenue. In January
1904, we were without funds, and obIg
ed to register warrants The County
Act had been declared illegal and oul
appropriations were in chaotic state
Notwithstanding the economies put into
effect, and since maintained, the wear
1905 will find us without funds in
March, and again obliged to register
All warrants, borrowing from the peo.
pie, as If were, who have served the
Territory or sold something to it.
The following statement shows our
financial record for the four years end
ing July l, 1904:
Fiscal year 1900-'0 '01: receipts, $2,-
140, 0,297.36; disbursements, s., $40, 6,685.53
excess of disbursements, 1896, ,3S8.17
Fiscal year 1901 '02: receipts $2,473,-
E2.S1; disbursements, $2,3S2, ,96S. 90;
excess of receipts, $50, ,203.91. Fis-
cal year 1902 '03: receipts, $2,387-
715.SS; disbursements, So, ,603, 1920; ex-
cess of disbursements, s. o,47S.32. Fis-
cal year 1908 '04: receipts, $2,415-
y Il -. . Q 4 4 o
cess of disbursements. 1925, ,69S.4o.
Net excess of disbursements in four
years, 1890, ,361.06.
BY carefuIlv economizing, a reason
able margin of revenue over expendi-
tures can be produced, and, in few
years, it will be unnecessary to register
warrants. The only other course that
would reach this result is the subjec-
tion of our people to an extra tax to
pay for past expenditures.
The heavy cuts made in appropria-
tions IN the special session, and the do
ing away with services to which the
people had long been accustomed, were
most severe, yet the patience and for
bearance shown by the people who have
suffered most is a matter for congrat-
ulation. The past wear has been a try
ing one, as are all periods in which
either the community or the individual
attempts the adjustment to a lower
plane of expenditure, yet all seem to
have Wed with one another in making
the best OF things, although the situa-
tion was complicated by industrial de-
preston.
In this connection, / desire publicly to
express my high appreciation, not only
of the fidelity and efficiency of those IN
charge of the various departments of the
Territory but also of the faithfulness and
fOrbearance shown by the two thousand
or more employees of this Territory dur
ing the past year. In view of the low
and the reductions made, and
the further loss by the necessity of
warrants, this has been re
markable and their record is no mean
heritage to bequeath to posterity.
In providing for the future, there
are two mann plans of procedure:
First For the Legislature to deter
mine proper revenue, commensurate
with the wealth of our Territory, and
not excessive; then, ar
range expenditures accordingly, read
juslIng ana providing for new items
or the more necessary expenditures by
cutting out those not so essential.
Second. For the Legislature to de-
termine what expenditures are neces-
sarv to the maintenance of this Terri
tory: then. provide revenues by impos-
lug sufficient taxes to meet them.
The only course remaining is the
careless. indefinite policy OF increasing
he revenues and expenditures without
reference to the ability of our indus
-ries or of the people to pay, or to what
s appropriate in the way of eXpendl-
ure.
There has been no great variation in
he laws regarding licenses and the rev
,nue obtained therefrOm since 1896. |
Conditions have changed to such an
,xtent that some are now no longer ap- |
,ropriate and there seems no good rea- |
on for providing licenses for a given |
ocalitv. and I would suggest that, so |
ar as possible, YOU make them uniform |
throughout the Territory. For instance, |
he annual fee to hunt with firearms on
he Island of Oahu requires a license |
ee of $500. while this control exists on !
zone of the other islands. And In other |
ases there are licenses required for /
pecial localities, while under the same |
0nditions in other parts of the Terri |
orv persons are not required to pay a |
icense. and 1t would seem only JUST,
air and proper that If license IS re-
uired at all. 1t should be extended
throughout the whole Territory. with
he single exception tnat possibly the
ate might be made different in differ
Mt localities.
In this connection it has been sug-
ested hv vour Treasurer that 1t would
Q we'll to adopt the Federal system of
aquiring all license fees TO be paid on
be first day of July, and that IN issu-
lg them, the first payment should be
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