Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-10
HOT FIGHT ON
TONNAGE TAX

HOT FIGHT ON
TONNAGE TAX
CONTINUED from Page u
port to the work of promotion would
be cut off.
with the proposed tax working
both ways, in landing and in ship
ping goods, it would be liable to be
doubled or trebled on the same mer-
chandise in certain cases, such as Re
reshipping OF goods received here to
the other islands, with the possibility
of further resnipment from one port
to another there.
Another objection to the measure
is that it would relieve shippers on
private wharyes from. any tonnage
tax. This would cause merchants to
favor the private wharves at the ex-
pense of the public wharves. 1t has
been argued by members of the har-
Dor board that the Inter-Island COM
pany is paying nothing toward this
wharfage tax fund. In the event of
this bill going into effect the Inter-
Island people would pay no more
than they are doing today-the ship
pers would have to pay every cent
Of it.
Another objection is the great ex-
pense to the merchants which would
be inevitable through keeping a check
ON the tax. They WOULD have to en-
ploy extra clerks TO do the work,
whereas now the voluntary tax costs
them nothing in this respect. the tax
4 IL. INV &c
safe to say that this expense would
cost them $4,000 year, or. an amount
equal to the estimated yield of the
tax for the benefit of the harbor COM
mission.
"The money needed for the upkeep
of wharves can be raised some other
way. 1t is proposed by some people
that the conservation tax be cut to
| one per cent. But instead of that
would suggest that it be left at two
per cent for one or two years, or I'M
| Til the federal income taxes come into
effect, and take from one-quarter to
one-half of the proceeds for the pur-
poses of the harbor commission.
Anyway, the general opinion of the
businessmen is that the five cents tax
is ridiculous"
C. J. Mccarthy, a. member of the
harbor commission, was asked If his
colleague, Commissioner Wakefield,
was fighting single-handed for the
five-cent tax, to which he replied:
Not at all We are all in favor
Iof it, The board passed resolution
proposing the passage of law Gre
ating the tax on December Is. Copies
| of the resolution were sent to the
Honolulu chamber of commerce, the
merchants association and the Hilo
PICARD of trade, but with the excep-
ton of the Hilo board OF trade these
bodies have not even acknowledged
receipt of the communication.
THE proposed tax is necessary to
provide the harbor board with means
for maintaining the wharVes and
making improvements thereon. Our
appropriation for the present fiscal
period was not sufficient to carry us
through, SO that we had to ask the
Legislature for a deficiency approprf-
alton. -. ..=
while the legislature empowered
ius to employ wharfingers and clerks,
| it neglected to provide money for pay
ling their salaries. In consequence the
board did not have clerk to keep
jtab on the appropriations When we
wanted a statement of the state OF
| the funds available, the chief clerk OF
1.-THE public works, as eX officio clerk
prepared one, but it was two weeks
cid when presented. In the meantime
1--we had held two or three meetings
and passed-yotes of money which were
Hound to overrun the balance of the
appropriation. Another statement was
requested, and this time it was four
weeks old OF course the clerk could
not be expected to keep the accounts
lof the board without being paid fer
1.-The work.
"The proposed tax is not an original
idea for Honolulu. 1t is a method OF
raising revenue for harbor purposes
| used all over the world. Mr.. Wake
! field and l were discussing the ques-
ton with a merchant the other day,
who objected that no other country
in the world imposed such tax on
business. Mr.. Wakefield Immediately
produced number of English in,
voices. which showed tax of six
renee ton on the goods. It was not
written or stamped. but printed on the
face of the invoice. Anything uEGeT
| a ton in measurement was rated a.
half, to.l."e ......-
Hits palama Settlement .-.