The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-03-31
|. TENNEY PECK
IMPRESSED HIM

SUBJECT. ludN tlOuSul II Pt>>4OIC lV1
any one person to possess"
This was the opinion that Tax As
SCISSOR y. c. willfong formed after q
conference with the Tax Commission
in Honolulu upon the occasion OF his
recent visit.
Authority TO appoint a tax commits
sion was given 10 the Governor OF the
Legislature in 1907. The idea was
Governor Carter's and he appointed
the first board. the present Governor,
Mr. Frear being one of its three MEM
bers. AS now constituted. the board
is composed of l. Tenney Peck, former
Judge Perry and Albert F. Judd.
The main object Of Mr. Willfong's
visit TO Honolulu was TO round up de-
linauent taxpayers on this island who
reside in Honolulu. and to press legal
proceedings already Instituted. In
both Of these respects he was Ear more
successful than he anticipated. While
he was there the Tax Commission was
in session and Mr.. willfong says that
during his audience he was impressed
with its utility and the knowledge of
the subject acquired by all the men,
bers. and more particularly by L. Ten
ney Peck. Mr.. Willfong said to a
Herald reporter:
AT present the appraiser of each
taxation district is responsible for the
appraisements that he makes. Appeal
can be made 10 the Board of Equaliza-
ton. from which recourse can be had
10 the courts. As one individual tax
assessor in a district is liable to err
81 any time and a dissatisfied tax
payer can now only go before the
Board of Equalization at Honolulu.
Mr.. Peck has suggested that a local
board of appraisers for each district,
or for each county. would be of mate
rial assistance to the assessors by
helping them TO arrive at an accurate
valuation of property. avoiding dissat-
isfactiOn and the cost involved in
making appeals. This would tend
largely TO abolish the work of the Tax
Appeal Court, but the Commission
believes. it would be more satisfactory
both 10 the assessors and the taxpay-
ers. This is Mr.. Peck's idea, and I
must say that I agree with him.
The talk I had with the Commits
sioners was invaluable TO me. 1t sur
prised me that they should be so well
informed on the subject of taxation.
I hope that any taxpayers on this is
land who may have felt aggrieved at
previous assessments, or who may
have distinct ideas on the subject of
taxation, will communicate them to
the Commission. They are sure to re-
ceive careful consideration"
THE CRATER ROAD.
High Sheriff Henry is anxious to
save time in the work being done on
the new Halemaumau road at the vol
canO. As two miles and half of it
have been finished, the prisoners must
walk five miles every day to and from
their work. thus losing nearly two
hours a day. which will be increased
as the work progresses. The High
Sheriff. in order to overcome the loss
of labor involved. would like to see
a team furnished to transport the
prisoners to and from their work. and
has sent a letter to the Board of Su-
pervisOrs asking IF it were not pos
sibIe TO supply a team for the pUr-
pose of transporting the men to and
from their work. II seems TO me"
Mr. Henry adds. '.it Will be a great
saving Of time by doing so. With the
new steamer Mauna Kea and the fine
road to the crater, it certainly viii
increase the amount of travel to Hilo,
thereby making IT a paying invest
ment in the end. Therefore IIwouId
Ike to see that road an ACCOMPLISHED
fact as soon as possible"
THE VOLCANIC DISPLAY.
J. W. WaIdron of Honolulu has re-
turned from a ten days stay at the
Volcano House, when he nj an op-
portunity TO see the volcgEo in va
rious stages of activity
ION Saturday night" said Mr.. Wal
drOn, ''the display was the best ever
saw. The whole floor Of the pit was
a mass of active fire. 1t was then
about 200 feet below the brink. and the
heat was intense. II must have risen
a hundred feet in two days. 1t was
on Saturday night that the cone broke-
open, the fame bubbIing cut like a
spring Of water on both sides. Words
can not express what II was like or
in any way describe IL"
The fire from the pit was so bril-
liant that the outline Of the top of
the crater could be distinctly seen m
detail from the yeranda of the Vol
sano House ". W. Harris. VINO has
made many visits down TO the VOL
,ano. says that he never saw such q !
ma gnffcent display as there was last
week
Second Assistant Deputy Attorney /
General Sutton was al the volcano on
Saturday and Sunday and was much |
with the activity and /
grandeur Of what he saw. The heat,
-e said. was intense, and men had to
hade their faces with their hats. while
aides wore automobile goggles TO pro-
ect their eyes By placing ones foot
yer the brink the heat could be felt
Trough the shoe.
ITEMS.
After an absence from England Of
1ther more than fifteen years. DR..
haTles L. Stow, Territorial health Off
er IN Hiio, eOntemplates a visit to
Is old home and his relatives. II is
L intention to be away for six months.
.aying here on the Enterprise toward