The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-04-11
BITTER FIGHTING
OVER TAX BILL


To- NMt AUMMNlllI' ELAlt NtCM HHN uMl
hearty endorsement, and win also meet
the probable requirements Of interest
and sinking fnnd towards bonds issued
BY the Territory on behalf Of the coun.
ties.
At the same time your committed
feel assured from a careful study Of
the figures in hand that the counties
will be certain Of receiving the two.
thirds portion Of the real and personal
property tax that senate bill No. 50
provides that they shall receive.
SIT is the belief Of the minority
that the legislature, now that an in
crease in the tax rate has become neees-
sary, should set the precedent of limit
ing the rate for two years at least.
'fWith the amendment as offered, we
recommend the passage of the BILL
Fireworks Begin.
Representative Long, following the
reading of the minority report, moved
that the majority report be adopted.
Representative Rice at once secured
the floor in defense of this report, on
the general proposition that the tax
payers should at all times be willing
and ready to "come up' with their
proper share of taxes to educate the
children of the people who make, the
wealth of the Territory.
al represent large taxpayers, as
serted Rice. est is not as though /
represented men who simply want to
get taxes to spend, l represent the
heavy interests, but also the lunas and
workingmen. If there is limited tax
for the schools the people will get out
and fight and that is why am making
this fight today for them.
Under the method Of this bill Oahu
and Hawaii are ahead, while Maui is
out about $4,000 and Kauai also loses.
But we want to place this taxation
business on basis of limit on every
thing except schools. By the passage
of this bill as it comes from the senate
the money for the schools is guaran-
teed. We want this law to stand and
not have to monkey with it two years
from now.
"When the legislature met it was
said that the tax rate should be limited
to one per cent, bat the corporations
have gone up to one and one,eighth
per cent, and now this bill has passed
the senate and 1T should pass the
house.p e
Easy without Limit.
Representative Cooke stated that il
was all right when figuring on the side
of the government to figure without a
limit, it was easy to do this so that the
people are assessed, but he held that
one and one-eighth per cent. was ample
for the next two years and it was nee.
m ms kha IN Alefrr no H.
taxpayer could know where he was
coming out.
Representative Archer was against a
limit on the rate and gave some sta.
tistics regarding school attendance
Also he referred to the poll, tax and the
part foE the immigration purposes as
'ttaxes for the rich..p ass t +
Representative Williamson also took
q whack at the unamended bill, stating
that the limit of one and one.eighth
per cent would be amples He stated
he. had been school teacher himself;
sand don't want anyone to think
want limit placed on. the rate for
schools, but believe this legislature
should put limit to the tax rate. Put
it to the roof, if you mast, but don Il
take the roof off. y
Charges Committee.
But it was Representative Watkins
who really started things.
because we seek to put limit to
taxation is not saying that we are
knocking the school BILL he declared.
eve want to tell our constituents we
kept the tax rate as low as possible and
fixed it at one and one-eighth per cent,
for we are sure the one-eighth will
meet the extra tax for schools.
"When we drew up this minority re-
port we knew what we were doing. We
had the majority report showed up
under our noses and were asked to sign
it. The finance committee did not seri.
ously consider the bill.'
Up jumped Rice to resent such impu-
tations on the good faith of his com.
mittee. He denied that the committee
had not carefully considered the bill.
Representative Correa also objected to
the remarks of Watkins, but the latter
held the floor and continued.
I'VE, the minority, did not see the
majority report until Saturday, al.
though it had been written by Friday
noon. Never was a vote taken on it
~ eho AhhhSS CoAlAHlttSt- .
HMr. Speaker, the majority and mi
nority reports speak for themselves, I"
replied Rice.
Bill ''Railroaded.'
"Mr. Speaker, this is the most i'm.
portant measure in the house, re-
sponded Watkins, I" and it did not have
the consideration that was due it in
committee. claim this report was rail
roaded through the committee. When
we are considering the question of
spending the money of the people there
is no question of the steam roller /
move the adoption of the minority re-
port ~
Then Rice got back. 8 tas
1--WE did everything in the commit.
tee we should have done, be asserted
n But how about the attorneys for the
planters association and the chamber of
commerce coming before us and insist.
ing that We should adopt their views OF
the one and one'eighth per eent9'N And
Rice shook an accusing finger at Wat
kiDs, ~ am trying to represent all the
people and give everybody square
deal,n he concluded.
Representative Mareallino stated that
he represented a class Of people whose
sole ambition was 20 own 4 home oi