The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-03-02

HfNlNt III my tNAftht III INt " NlN0s OuN
per cent. on a full cash value on home.
stead lands was small property tax.
Senator Fairchild asked il gradu-
ated income tax would not engcndcr
class feeling, Gear answering that now
there were no two persons paying the
same rate He quoted a Supreme Court
decision by Governor Frear that n
graduated income tax would be consti.
tutional.
Question an Old One.
f. Faxon Bishop said every Hawai-
ian Legislature faced situation where
there were more demands on the treas
ury than could be met. No other Leg
islature had proposed to raise the tax
rate, however, other Legislatures max
ing what they had go. He said the
legislators now were laying down at
their work in not making available
funds do and acknowledging that they
couldn't work out a policy of working
on what they had.
From what cause had the condition
arisen, he asked, and inquired if the
committees had looked into the ques
ton of where the money was going
and see if the county system was II
success or not. If it could be shown
il was not, then the counties ought to
be cut down. What the statesmen
ought to do was to look around and
see where money can be saved and not
be looking for information as TO where
more money can be raised.
Every member comes wanting some
thing for his constituency and asks
for it. That is his stock in trade. 1t
has always been that way. Gentle
men, those wants have to be scaled
down. AS Mr.. Gear has said, the poor
folks have all they can stand and we
have all we can stagger UNDER
Mr.. Bishop was applauded when he
sat down.
Chairman Rice asked Mr.. Bishop if
he favored bonding the Territory for
public works. Mr.. Bishop said moth
ing should be borrowed, but there was
not revenue producing enough to meet
interest charges. 1t was good bust,
ness to construct revenue-producing
works.
"Reduce expenses, concluded Mr..
Bishop. "I am told that there are
thousands of children sent to our pub
lie schools of six and seven years old,
sent there for nursery purposes. You
must cut your expenses. / know it
doesn't 90 in politics. That's why l
am not success as politician.
Get More for the Money.
Auditor Fisher said the situation
was not surprising. The people mad
more now than ever before, schools
were bigger, roads were better, reform
schools, public institutions were bet
ter equipped and all called for more
money.
Single asked Mr.. Bishop if the Leg
islature he had been member of had
not caught up with the deficit by float
ing bonds, which was denied. "We
scaled our expenses and landed with a
SURPLUS he explained
How 1t Was Done.
81 was a member of that Legisla-
ture," said Rice, "and we started to
collect taxes semiannually. We col
lected half year in advance and
caught up that way
81 don't know how we did it, but
we landed,'' said Bishop.
Mr.. Carter said the sober sense OF
the community did not want increased
| taxation.
Taxation a Science.
Senator Smith said no conclusion
| could be reached about increased taxes
until it was definitely settled whether
the estimated expenses could be reduced
| below those submitted by the Execu
tive.
"Taxation is SCIENCE said the
President of the Senate, "and some
thing more often approached by legs
lators than any other subject and less
understood by the average legislator
than any other. 1t is an axiom that
questions that affect the whole people
like taxation and election laws, should
not be changed often and then as
| little as possible. If it can be found
by reasonable economy that we ear
live within our income, without impair
ing the efficiency of government, We
| should not raise our tax rate"
Mr.. Peck stated that if the people
who thought on public questions would
get together as they We're last night
once month for a year, they coulC
evolve tax law better than the ia,
| commission ever could.
Business Proposition.
E. d. Tenney suggested that thu
Legislature carry on the government al
a big business enterprise was carriet
on, keeping out of debt and doing i'm
provements only when there was none,
available to do them, scaling the esti
mates to fit the revenue. The prosperit,
and life of the country has and does de
pend on the sugar industry, consequent
ly the incomes of all, government anC
people, depend upon sugar. That in
dustry is prosperous now. No on
knows how long it will continue, ant
this has to be considered in the ques
ton of taxation. In general admins
tration of affairs the expense should b.
made to fit the income, not make tn
income fit the expense, Like preceding
speakers, he opposed increasing tll
bonded debt for nonrevenue producin
public works.
Too Much Salaries.
+. /, Spalding stated that he felt tn
truth of Senator Smith IS remarks.
a general way he thought this was
business proposition and he though
there was not irst'elass bushes
house in the Territory which could no