The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-12-20
BETTER SCHOOLS AND
MORE FOR HAWAII
Continued from Page One. J

NOOHIlnu6u from rage One.
time the commission is not authorized
to revise taxation To meet the school
appropriations three provisions are pro
posed.
These are first, school tax of two
dollars paid by "every male inhab-
liant between the ages of twenty and
sixty years" Second, fifty per cent
of the income from public lands sales,
leases and water licenses. The third
provision is the specific tax on real
and personal property. The commits
sion says of this tax:
Ca levy of as many mills on
the dollar of real property and per.
sonal property as may be necessary to
meet the difference between the sum
called for under the general fund of
the school budget and the total of the
school personal tax, the public lands
income and any other permanent
sources of income devoted to public
schools. For instance, if the general
fund of the school budget called for
$500, 900, 100000 might be secured
from the personal tax, $250,0O0 from
the fifty per cent of the income on pub
lie lands, leaving $450,O0O to be raised
by a specific tax of three mills on the
dollar, estimating the assessed value of
the real and personal property at $780,.
G000,000'
Innovations. 20
A permanent fund is suggested by the
commission to consist of "donations of
land or other income bearing property
the proceeds of which shall be used
for the support of the public schools {"
The amount necessary for the sal
aries of teachers and other school Off
GERS is to be appropriated under an
act authorizing a continuing appropria-
| ton. cot makes available each bien.
NAL period without further specific act
of the legislature the funds required
to meet an approved schedule of ex-
pense.n
1.-THE Reasons Why
The commission appends the follow.
| ing explanation of its motives to the
above outlines of plan of finance;
"The aim of the commission in set
ting aside the specific source of in
come as in the school tax is to secure
Il definite revenue from the large
amount of non-property- downing males
who have none of the responsibilities
of citizenship, but whose children gain
the benefits of the public school.
In taking a portion of the revenue
from public lands we devote the income
from the public lands domain to the
purpose which the American people and
in earlier days, the people of Hawaii,
believed to be its proper use. From
1850 and to the year 1894, Hawaii
gave the funds derived from one TWEEN
tieth of the public lands to public
school purposes, The unearned
increment of our public lands belongs
to the children of the soil. What bet
ter heritage can we, their trustees,
give them than the facilities for a
liberal education. -
Referring to the variable tax on real
and personal property which is to
make up the deficit between the school
budget and the permanent income, the
commission says:
"Should the people of the Territory
be unwilling to adopt this principle of
taxation in connection with their
schools, they indicate that they lack
respect for the fundamental principle
that high character of citizenship and
government can only be maintained
through efficient public education
County Jurisdiction.
The commission, in another part OF
the report dwells on the important
problem Of jurisdiction over the schools
which rs pertinent now that the conn
ties and Territory both seem so inclined
10 question the authority OF the other
The report saysi
zone Of the problems facing IN,
people OF the Territory al the present
time Is the adjustment Of the responsi
biiiiles Of the Territory aud the eoun
ties,
"Of late wears there has been
steady drift toward the ASSUMPTION o
greater authority over lhe schools bl
the counties The causes far this MI
Too numerous 10 mention, tn
commission ia satisfied that except 10
occasional lHpses NJ executive capaeit!
| a. large Share NJ tho complaint aRains
ihe present ryatem of school manaaf
mepi 10 primarily due 20 the faei iha
f1f lhf lhri ien yean, pF llnes tho pnl
llt revenues Nrrr reduced through ih
lnsH NJ ilf rutinWhnNHn fullrfiInnt, ih
! department. M puddle Instruction NJ
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