The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-08

so tnat our puDllc lands now VIII NOT
go to be added to the already swollen
estates and there must be other
changes whereby the estates must be
made to either Utilize the land they
hold or give it up to those who will.
"The ones who own and control the
great estates in Hawaii today are act
ing the part of the dog in the manger.
81 am in favor of the application
here of law similar to that which has
converted New Zealand from the land
of great estates to one of a settled and
prosperous class of small land owners.
The principle of the New Zealand law
is TO tax unimproved lands at the same
valuation as improved lands, thus fore
ing Improvements or surrender. The
New Zealand method of assessing lands
for taxation purposes is also something
that ought to be put into practise here.
Under that system the landowner is his
own assessor, but it is fixed by law that
the government has an option. at all
times on the land so assessed at price
ten per cent. above the taxation value
given by the owner.
When this law when into effect,
New Zealand had landowner who
held relatively the same position in
that country that the Bishop Estate
does in Hawaii. He had an estate of
thousands of acres of value of ten
million dollars. In fixing a price for
taxation purposes he made a return of
six hundred thousand pounds What
did the Government of New Zealand
do? Immediately they voted a bond
issue of $3,300,000 and took up the
option the law gave them on the land,
despite the protest of the owner that
he wished to return a new assessment
value. This land was cut up into
small tracts and offered to settlers on
easy terms. Now, instead of there be-
ing one great, unimproved estate, used
as sheep run, there are thousands OF
farms, thousands of families and great
er taxes coming in to the government,
while the government from the sale
of the lands redeemed its bonds.
"Another immediate result of the
prompt action of the government was
that many other large landowners ask
ed for the return of their assessment
blanks, having quickly discovered that
they had made a mistake in the fig
ures they had sent in.
cit is not probable that the New
Zealand or any other law could be
changes to fit it to local conditions,
but the principle of some such a law
should be applied here. The new Irish
land law, compelling landlords to sell
to tenants, might be modified for our
use, or some other such law. Other
wise. with the estates increasing as
they are in area, our population here
will become one such as the peon pop
ulation of Mexico.
Everybody admits that our land
system is wrong, but no one as yet
has been found willing to come out
openly for a correction of the abuses.
Everyone admits that our system of
taxation is wrong, that our wealthy
escape with a lower percentage of tax
alton than the poor, but no one has
come out openly to suggest measures
that viii equalize matters. There is a
decided fear on the part of our public
men that they would antagonize the
hig interests of the Territory if they
pressed too vigorously for reforms. In
private conversations our officials
from the lowest to the highest will
agree that things are wrong in Ha
waii, but none are willing to make
any clean-eut public declaration nor
give countenance to any declaration |
of policy along the lines privately |
agreed upon.
"We have had land commission |
and a tax commission at work. What |
lines the members are working on, I |
10 not know. I do know, however, |
that unless they will recommend rad |
zeal departures from the systems of |
land administration and taxation now /
in force. their work so far as settling |
the question here is concerned will be |
useless.
ssIt appears to me that someone has !
10 make some declarations along the |
ines of nv ideas, and I will not hest
tate TO come out in public for my
part. Personally I am in a better po-
sition to do so than most. I am abso-
uteIv independent of everybody and
nave. too. no self interest to serve in
his matter. I am convinced, more
,ver. that the future welfare and de-
-elopment of Hawaii along the lines
desired by the Washington admins
ration depends upon some such steps
IS 7 have outlined. and I am going
o work to bring about the adoption
# such a policy by the Republican
,artv of the Territory.
s'I realize that nothing in this can
,e dcne in a hurry. Careful attention
must be given to the questions. ana
Continued on Page Eight)