Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-18
new TAX ON CARGOES?!|
TONNAGE REVENUE PLAN
Harbor Commission Gets Re
port Wharf improvements
Demand increase in Rev.
enues Somehow

s -. s
Declaring the present revenues
from wharves in the territory insuf-
ficient to meet the demands for I'M
provements made necessary by com
merce of the present and immediate
future, James Wakefield. special com.
mittee of one OF the board OF harbor
commissioners, is this afternoon pre-
senting to the entire board report
recommending that tonnage tax
lie imposed on all -incoming and out.
going cargoes.
Together with these important rec
concentrations, the committee urges
that the policy involved Is such =
vital matter to the commercial inter.
ests of the entire Territory that 1II
the available data should be gathered
IA I submitted to the Chamber sOf
Cor fmerce, Merchants Association
and other like Organizations In Homo
lulu, the Hilo Board OF Trade. Maui
Chamber Of Commerce and other
civic and business organlzatlohB
throughout the territory
The report of Mr.. Wakefield Is as
follows:
Honolulu, December 18th, 1917
II. K Bishop, Esq, Chairman. Board
of Harbor Commissioners. Honol1lu.
Dear Sir:-Your COMMITTEES appoint.
ed to report on '.Revenuess from Ter.
ritoriaf Wharyes beg to state az fol-
lows:
Investment.
After careful Investigation Of avail
able data the Territory Of Hawaii has
Invested in WhArYes In Honolulu Har
boI. and l1n6ings on the Island Of Ha-
waii, Maui, Kauai and MoIokal the
sum of 1885. .701.59: this total does
rot include any portion OF the sum
appropriated for the Hflo Wharf Con
tract, OF this sum the wharves in H0-
noluIu Harbor absorb $l.247. 70f. 50,
and some Is landings on the above
named Islands account for the balance
Of $4,000.
Source Of Revenue.
The only source of revenue from
this large investment is the collec-
lion of charge OF .02 per ton per
day on the net registered tonnage Of
steamers when actually lying along
side one of the territorial wharyes;
landings or wharves which are so sit
,uated or constructed that vessels can
not tie berthed alongside, yield the
Territory absolutely no revenue ur-
der the present system OF charges,
no matter how costly the wharf may
have been to the Territory TO con-
struct and to maintain.
Actual Revenue.
The total earnings of wharves in
Honolulu harbor over the past year
from Oct. /, 1911, to sept. 30. 1912.
was $44,69I1S, all landings and
wharves owned by the Territory on
the islands of Hawaii, Maui. Kauai
and MoEokai yield no revenue what
ever. These gross earnings show
return of 800 per cent on the Terri
tory's total wharf investments. or
3.58 per cent on the Territory's In
vestment in Honolulu harbor wharyes
alone.
Expense.
The last legislature appropriated
the sum of $49,500 for repairs to
wharves and landings for the present
biennial period, $4,000 of which was
for the repair of wharves in Honolulu
harbor; this sum, as you are aware.
was wholly inadequate to maintain
the wharves in Honolulu hsrbor in .
fit and proper condition for the traiic
they carry. It is safe to say that the
present type of wharves and the char
acter of construction, will absorb for
repairs only. for some years to come.
the whole of the gross earnings Of the
wharves from the present sources Of
wharf revenues, and will leave no
Continued from page two.D