Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-01-11

dent of the United States to the pTea-
ent Congress, that 10 per cent. Of ths
customs and internal revenues of tlr'
Territory be set apart as a special fund
for the benefit of the Territory, is most
important matter, and one that met
with prompt recognition by the com
mercial bodies of the city, resulting in
the appointment of a delegation repre-
senting your Association and the |
Chamber OF Commerce, with two dele.
gates from the other Islands, to pre-.
sent and urge favorable attention from
the committees of Congress.
In July last your Association had |
the honor OF entertaining during their |
stay in the city, the Hon. VIM. II. Taft, |
Secretary Of War, and his party Of Sen. |
ators and Representatives.
Two firms have withdrawn from the
Association in the past year and death
has removed one from our midst.
Your Directors have lost an efficient
secretary in Mr.. Richard II. Trent,
other duties compelling his retire
ment.
The coming year opens out with
promise of much work before us, one
of the first questions being that Of cor
poration exhibits for purely mercan
tile enterprises or, rather limited CO.
partnerships; another being that of
taxation returns, particularly Seized.
ule 81"
In conclusion your Directors would
urge more general attendance at the
meetings Of the Association and the
offering by members, other than direc.
tors, of subjects for discussion and
action.
The report OF the committee on pub
lie affair. signed by Messrs. Wakefield,
, McInerny and Waldron, was read as
follows:
During the past year, the work under
taken by The Committee has been var.
led in its character and we trust use
full and beneficial to the Association.
In January. 1905, we took up the mat.
ter OF the advisability of attempting
, to secure amendments to the present
, laws providing for a tax on real and
| personal property: after joint consul
, tation with committees from the Plant.
, ers' Association, and Chamber of Com.
. merce. the decision was reached by the
, Joint committees that at that time IL
would be unwise to attempt any amend.
mems of the present law, but to endeav.
, or to secure, through the Legislature,
the appointment OF a commission for
, the study Of tax laws and to present
their conclusions to the next Legisla
, ture. A bill was introduced into the
. House and Senate dealing with this
, commission but failed to secure eXecu.
, tive endorsement: and was lost.
, We would draw the particular atten.
ton Of the members OF the Association
to Act so passed by the last Legislature
in relation to suits on open accounts;
this act we believe will afford consid.
cradle protection to the merchant
7 against attempted fraud on the part
of debtors, particularly In the mater
, of disputes as to deliveries. We here
desire to record our appreciation OF
: the efforts made in the Legislature by
3 many Representatives on behalf Of the
, various measures prepared or sup
! ported by your Committee; without
! this valuable assistance Il is doubtful
0 whether the forenamed law, or the act
, prohibiting the sale OF trading stamps
!. in the Territory would have found
. their place on the statute books OF the
|, Territory.
We endeavored to secure the passage
of an act to amend the Revised Laws
Of Hawaii re annual exhibits by cor
y porations; this attempt failed and the
Q matter will now come before you In q
g more acute form than heretofore.
A useful amendment was secured Il
the law relating to tax on foreign
: corporations trading In the Territory;
We trust the Treasurer of the Territory
I will secure the financial benefits the aci
Is provides. so that all corporations trad
;, ing In the Territory will be on a more
i equal basis of taxation than they have
been in past years.
Z The question Of the method of asses
d sing stocks of merchandise for taxa
y ton, particularly re the assessmeir
VI purely mercantile businesses as en-
: terprises for profit was placed in tn
\ hands of your Committee to discus
d with the Tax Assessor; individual
X cases were dealt with by the Assesso
a. In a manner satisfactory to the Com
" mittee, but no definite general basi
20 Of assessment Of stocks OF merchandis
a could be arrived at. We respectful,
II recommend that the legal right OF tn
Ii Assessor to assess mercantile bus
NJ nesses as enterprises for profit"
81 tested In the courts this year. and
be possible adjust a situation that Is
Id source OF irritation to the tax.paye
OF and one OF difficulty TO our courteou
Aga