The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-03-09
NO L.ECALIzINC
OF WHARF
TAX
trrom saturday. AavstlIsetl

The Merchants Association by an
almost unanimous vote at special
meeting held yesterday afternoon pass
cd a motion favoring specific tax
merchandise bill for passage by the
Legislature. This is believed 20 solve
the problem of compelling number OF
merchandise brokers TO pay license
10 carry on business in Honolulu, and
thus do away with the feeling that
some men pay money into the tern,
torial treasury to do business, and
Others do not.
The Merchants Association had some
expressive views on the delinquency or
government officials in failure to col
iect all delinquent taxes, an amount
in the aggregate which would 60 far !
toward reducing the shortage OF cash
in the treasury. AS to the Shipper
Wharf tax, the association, after long
discussion as to whether or not the tax
should be legalized by the Legislature,
decided to take no vote on the matter
at all. although expressing themselves
as against legalizing it, preterrlng that
the fund be gathered as IT has been
i'm the past, thus retaining the control
Of it's disposition. There was fear
that if the tax was legalized in bill
that the money would go into the treas
prv and stand a chance of being squan.
dered with other public money, and II
those who paid the tax wanted TO de-
vote it TO a special purpose or purposes,
they would not be able to do SO, ex'
cept by act of the Legislature
THE special committee on trade and
finance comprising p. A. Paris, CHAIR
man. and w. 7. Lucas, presented re-
mort on the license problem, pretacing
the report by saying that they nae
looked carefully into the matter anu
endeavored to ascertain from the treas,
urer his ideas regarding any possloie
remedy for the existing conditions.
Their report reads:
We and that a number of firms and
individuals are not paying the license
fees according to the law as it appears
Ia your committee, and that although
the Treasurer has been advised by the
ATTORNEY General that certain hrms
and individuals are liable, the ices
have not been; for some reason or
other collected. We do not wish 10
reflect upon the staff Of the Terrific
rial Treasurer s office, but it appears
To ms that some officer should be APP
nointed whose particular duty II
should be to inquire into the style Oh
business done by all individuals, firms
and corporations, and through ccmIe'
font advice determine whether or not
certain laws apply to their indivldun'
cages Quoting Mr.. A. j. Campbell,
vTreasurer of the Territory, he states
that it is somewhat difficult for the
license clerks to know just who are
liable for this license fee, depending
as it does upon familiar acquaintance
with the nature of the business con
dncted. and whether it comes under
the interstate commerce law or not.
We presume to suggest that the
Territorial department is in reality .
business institution, and we feel tha'
as such the department should De
placed in a position to collect and
realize its Just dues. Whereas youl
committee stands ready to lend It's as
sistance in offering suggestions, from
time to time, it does not feel that II
should presume to act as an arm OF INT
law to ferret out those who are moi
complying Herewith. :,
Further than the above, we woult
urgently suggest that the present II
cense law is inadequate and inefficient
in that in its effort to avoid any con
fiict with the interstate commerce Law
1t fails to make clear the absolute def
iuition of those who are actually la
BILE, neither does it provide an effec
tive manner of penalizing those VIII
do not comply with the statutes.
1t has come to the notice of you
committee that, through recent de
cision of the, Supreme Court, bacl
taxes on certain real estate have beel
decided as noncollectible, thereby de
Jriving the Territory of certain reve
nue. which was it's just due and whic
would have been available, had tn
law relative to the collection of take
been enforced at the time. We TAX
this opportunity of mentioning thi
point, in view of the present urgen
question of additional revenues TO
the maintenance of the Territorial dc
partments. 1t is quite evident to you
committee that if all Of the taxes an
revenues which are justly due the Tel
ritory, under the law, were collected
and the laws relative thereto strict
enforced, the treasury would find il
self in much better condition tina
now exists.
We would suggest that speca
Legislative committee be appointed t
look into the existing license and ia
laws. whose further duty it would b
to consider legislative matters and a
proposed bills which may. be brough
before the Territorial Legislature,
being the further duty of this con
mittee to confer with like commit
tee from the Chamber of Commerc'
and if possible, act jointly.
1t is stated that out of thirty or fort
commission merchants here only seve
have paid their license fee for dom
business-$l0O each; and that the gov
eminent is losing any amount Of none
hu MT cnllactinp such fees