Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-28
agree ONFRONTAGE TAX
BUT SUPERVISORS And MAYOR ARE
not INACCORD WITH SUGGESTIONS

I01S meeting Judl the EuTlu6E eApcHot-
ture OF funds for opening new reads
and improving existing roads, by the
board Of supervisors. be made under
/. the provisions OF Acts 81 and 131.
Laws of 1913; and be II further
Resolved, That IL Is the sense Of
this meeting that the board of super
yisors proceed without delay to define
policy in reference to said Acts
Such was the resolution Of the pub
lie meeting held in the Young hotel
roof garden last night TO consider the
frontage tax laws Its second declar-
alton carried as an amendment 20 a
proposition classifying three different
kinds of streets. No vote was reach
ed on third section of the original
resolution, which presented schedule
OF assessments for the different
classes OF streets, motion to adj
jcurn at 1888 o'clock-when half the
attendance had left and the other half
was on its feet-broke up what had
been enc of the liyliest debates Hon
olulu had produced In years.
Mayor Fern presided and, when II
came to expressing the sense OF the
meeting, Joined with Supervisors Pc
trfe. Pacheco and Wolter In strenu-
sously protesting against what they
held TO be an attempt at debating
policy to the supervisors. Supervisor
Mcclellan said nothing on the cues
Ition at issue. his only remark having
reference to the water and sewer
obligations. Supervisors Hardesty
and Markham were silent.
While there was practical unanimlty
of opinion on the part of the private
citizens present relative to the duty
Of the board of supervisors to enforce
the frontage tax laws, considerable
ginger and little pepper were inject
ed into the discussion OF proposed de-
tails Of policy, especially between the
champions Of 100 per cent assessment
on property benefited and those favor.
ing division of the cost of improve.
ments with the municipality.
r. r. Reidford, to whom was allot-
ted the part of stating the purpose
of the meeting. read the recommends
tions of the Central Improvement
Committee: THAT the road depart
nnent plant be limited to such equip
ment as was necessary for street
maintenance: 2-that the supervisors
be requested to formulate policy OF
enforcement Of the frontage tax laws,
and. 3--that to assist the Supervisors
in formulating policy the mayor and
supervisors call public meeting.
Then he briefly spoke of the import
ance Of public improvements, and OF
what other cities we're doing In this
regard
Marston Campbell had for his theme
the application Of the principal of the
frontage tax IN mainland cities. He
mentioned this own experience IN Oak
land, where he had official connection
with the inauguration of the princi-
pie. Saying that tax was the mean.
est word in the dictionary, he main
tanned that the frontage tax was UNI
questicnably the most equitable tax
that was paid. It should not be con-
strued as a tax but as an investment.
Enhancement of the value OF proper
,ty was the universal effect of the
frontage tax. In Oakland and all the
other cities of California, as we'll as
in majority of the cities of which
he had data throughout the Union,
every dollar spent for paving, sew
ers and sidewalks was paid by the
property owners. This principle kept
down the general tax rate, he said
All taxes must be either direct or
Indirect said the speaker. Then
why not have all property bear the
cost of its improvements? If the cost
Is taken out of the general revenue
ii stands to reason that some prop.
erty owners will be heavily burdened
without receiving any benefit. Other
systems have been tried and proved
rank failures We must not put one
section against another. doubt IT,
there is another city anywhere that
has a greater problem In development
than Honolulu. 1t must have side
walks and pavements. 1t is a city OF
magnificent distances.
Some will say It is easy to Dor.
row money, but who pays it back?
The utmost limit of Honolulu's Dor.
rowing capacity is $5,000,000. Three
millions would be sufficient for rot
AAAOA buou JIG shCCuS-
Bonding the city is entirely out OF the
question for meeting the expenses of
all the public improvements that are
necessary"
Mr.. Campbell then gave a state
ment Of the systems of assessment
in list of fifty mainland cities, ma
jority of which-and these the more
progressive ones-taxed the property
benefited 100 per cent of the cost of
improvement Il am firmly Of be-
lie" he said in conclusion, that the
little city of Honolulu needs to be
stirred up in the matter of public inn
proyements" He closed by telling of
a ride he had taken from Manoa into
town with a visitor from the coast,
who had been in ecstacies over the
natural scenery but. on being shown
the dilapidated fences and unkempt
premises along part of King street,
forcibly expressed disgust.
Albion f. Clark read well prepar-
ed paper on the expenditures Of the
city and county for the past FIVE
years. showing thirteen important
services and statutory obligations be-
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