The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-12-20
BETTER SCHOOLS AND
MORE FOR HAWAII
Continued from Page One. J


time the commission is not authorized
to revise taxation To meet the school
appropriations three provisions are pro-
posed
These are, first, a school tax of two
dollars paid by "everv male inhab-
itant 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:
"A 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- pubk c
schools. For instance, if the general
fund of the school budget called for
from the personal tax. $3.50, 900 from
the fifty per cent of the income on pub
lie. lands, leaving $450.000 to be raised
by specific tax of three mills on the
dollar, estimating the assessed value of
the real and personal property at $780,
600. 900. -
Innovations.
\ permanent fund is suggested by the
commission to consist of g 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 continuing appropria-
ton cit makes available each bien.
NAL period without further specific act
of the legislature the funds required
to meet an approved schedule of ex-
pense.
THE Reasons Why
The commission appends the follow
ing explanation of its motives to the
above outlines of plan of finance:
1.-The aim of the commission in set
ting aside the specific source of in
come as in the school tax is to secure
la definite revenue from the large
amount of non-property owning smales
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 It's 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 rea
and personal property which is t.
make up the deficit between the sehoo
| budget and the permanent income. The
! commission SAYS:
''Should the people of the Territory
he unwilling to adopt this principle Of
| taxation in connection with then
schools. they indicate that they lacI
respect for the fundamental principI,
that high character of citizenship au5
government can only he mamtaine,
| through tihciehi phoIit enlcalon.
County Jurisdiction.
The commission, in another part o
the report, dwells on the importan
problem Of jurisdiction over the school
which is pertinent now that the couu
ties and Territory both seem so incline
to question the authority of the other
The report says:
One of the problems facing III
people Of the Territory at the presen
time IS the adjustment of the responsi
hiGties of The Territory and the couu
ties.
''Of late wears there has been
steady drift toward the assumption o
greater authority over the schools h
the counties. The causes for this ar
too numerous t. mention. TIL
commission is satisfied that except 70
occasional lapses Of executive capacit
! a large snare Of the complaint -agains