The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-04-21

1909 ivsAoo''i
1900 81 491. So
1901 Observation-Disclosures. 121 ,172, 92S
1902 Observation-Disclosures. 10 1888, SIS
1908 Observation-Disclosures. 129, S12 6S2
1904 Observation-Disclosures. 123, 1898, So
! 1905 Observation-Disclosures. 133, 924 100
1t will be observed that there has
been an increase in taxable wealth Of
$50 per cent in seven years.
The leading product of Hawaii is
sugar. There was produced and ex-
ported in 1897 sugar to the value OF
SIC, $50 109. In 1905 the sale of sugar
amounted to $35, 112, las, an increase, as
will be observed, of 120 per cent.
If Hawaii had been foreign territory
last year and had sold it's sugar to
the United States and paid the pres
| ent customs duties, it would have
amounted to over s16,OoO,0O0.
| The Governor of Hawaii in his re-
port of 1904, makes this statement with
reference to the growth of trade:
| "A remarkable exhibit is made by
comparing the trade growth per cap
| tia of population in Hawaii which
| shows an increase of $131 up to $247
| under annexation for every man,
woman and child in the country, a to-
tai per capita of trade that is more
than eight times greater than that of
the trade per capita for the entire
United States
This is a remarkable statement, but
is fully borne out by the facts.
The majority, in their report, say:
THE total per capita tax of every
man, woman and child in the Terri
tory is now over $22 per annum."
We do not know whether this state
fnent is a misprnt or misstatement
of fact; if it is a misstatement of fact
we are sure it is not Intentionally
made.
The total receipts from every source
in Hawaii in 1905 were $2,354, .O2; the
population is 154,016; computation will
show that the per capita would be
only $3.50. The taxes proper that
were collected in that year-that is,
the real and personal tax, the income,
road and school, and poll taxes. ac-
cording to the statement of the Gov
ernor, found in his published report on
page 36-amounted to $1.626, 075.50, or
less than 5000 per capita, an amount
not half so large as that stated by
the committee.
According to Hawaiian reports, in
1897, which was prior to annexation,
the internal taxation from every source,
excepting customs duties, amounted
to $1,240, 937.12; the taxable wealth at
that time was $50. 5S2, 1854, so that their
total taxation was % per cent. of their
property values. In 1905 the per cent.
of all receipts to property values was
only IL per cent, Or three-fi per
cent. less than in 1897.
What is the purpose of the pending
oloir h.
eminent to the building of the school
houses. local public buildings and the
roads and bridges of Hawaii.
In the Senate hearings on this SUBJ
iect during the testimony of Mr.. G.
w. Smith. who represented Hawaii, the
chairman of the committee said:
$50, I think, after all, what You need
to get help from US for is, perhaps, only
for your domestic necessities, for your
school buildings and your local public
y
Mr.. Smith answered:
Yes sir; and roads and bridges"
This coiloquy states fully the pur-
pose on Hawaiis part in trying 20 ,
secure this legislation. It might be
we'll to inquire into the condition SO .
ar as these various items are con- ,
,erned. The school system of Hawaii
IS good one The Committee on ,
Foreign Affairs of this House, in its j
eport on the annexation. bill of 1898, ,
tated z
There is a highly organized system Y
f free public schools, modelled on that +
f the United States. in which the En- /
fish language is taught: the public 5,
cnool year is eight months, and all
hildren between and IA years of age i,
= nhu q, 70 OF
end school, the number of schools in a
500 was 1s7, the number of teachers @
rs, and the number of scholars 1865; II
/ 1905 there were 1874 schools. Ala teach O.
RS, and 1922 scholars. This shows a II
ecrease in the number of schools and r
and an increase in the num-
err of attendants over that of 1897. V
There were al school buildings built O,
nd contracted for last year: 35 OF II
lese took the place Of old buildings; II
lese buildings will furnish capacity
,r 4140 pupils. There are now 1874 ir
ubIic school buildings. which fully fl
apply the needs of the 1874 schools. II,
lere are also 20 teachers cottages. a.
omes that have been provided by the k
erritory. The schools today are far l.,
atter housed and equipped for adj Sc
anced and thorough training than n;
yer before. W
LAS to local public buildings. there in
as expended on this account last year I
FER $500, 00e, and it is an unquestioned s.
ct that in this particular Hawaii is Il
a better condition than when an in
exed IL
The roads and bridges in Hawaii ara al
better character than those of most T
the States and Territories on the r.