Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-30
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
OF HONOLULU g fzs
FINANCE AND TAXATION

torial public lands The county OF
Hawaii has not yet fully inyentoried
] its property No records have been
made regarding any Of the territorial
! or county road construction, showing
I whether the monies were received
from general funds or from loan funds,
land without reliable data il has been
ifcuntl in many instances iFnpcssihls
: to arrive at even first costs on Which
to base depreciation allowances. (See
report dated February Il 1851
A request was made Of the Joint
committee by the governor that we
( furnish him with the figures showing
| the cash values. as OF December 81,
1914, of the territorial and county per-
manent improvements which had been
made exclusively from loan fund eX-
penditures and which amounted to
/. $6,259,07719. With the exception of
i the inventory, ass,ef December 81,
1914, prepared by the superintendent
| of public works, for the harbor COM
imissicn, CT the wharves and landings
/ in the Territory, including dredging
operations and DEPRECIATION allow
ances, aggregating $1,277, S6S. n, there
were no other data ON file from which
i the facts required could be obtained
and the governor was SO, informed.
Our present government accounting.
system provides merely for fund ac,.
counts. which show the amounts ap-
spropriated, disbursements and bal.
ances unexpended -in other words,
simply a, record of receipts and ex-
penditures. There are no property ac-
counts kept, and 1t Is, therefore, I'M
POSSIBLE to prepare a balance sheet,
showing at any tine the government
assets and liabilities and surplus o.
deficit, as the case may be. II the
Territory or the counties are to be
placed in such a position that they can
obtain the status OF their accounts rep
Presenting OUTLAWS for permanent prop
critics and improvements. and show
also what they owe en- account of
these outlaws. and the relation OF the
bonded debt of the Territory to any
of these important financial condi-
items, no time should be lost in plac-
ing an authentic value on all govern
ment property.
In view Of the present inadequate
methods OF our government account
ing, and the impossihility of obtaining
the necessary figures from the pres
ent records. it is the conclusion Of.
the joint committee that property val
ues above referred 4 to can only be
had at this late date by the appoint
ment by. the governor of commits
sion to appraise the values of all as
sets OF both the Territory and the
several counties and whose duty 1t
viii be to uniformly classify the prop
Rrties, assemble tia figures and take,
the necessary stepso TO, record these
facts IN the goyernpe emit books (See
report dated February 8, 1915s) ~
Having arrived at a point where leg
Eislative action was absolutely neces-i
sary, a bill was drafted providing for
the appointment by the governor Of q
board OF appraisers. After c0nsultas
ton with your committee on legisla-
tion It was recommended that the.
scope of the duties Of the special COM
mission be Widened in order that they
might make q, thorough Investigation,
and recommend scientific and uni
form system of accounting. which
could be applied to territorial affairs
as well as to the. several counties
This bin is now before the present
legislature and we feel and are as
fsured that It will receive favorable
action. llsli
We recommend that the work as
outlined by this committee be contin.
ued by members of the incoming
board OF directors and ne hope that
no lapse will be permitted ID. the eff
forts to establish a Modern, scientific
and uniform system of accounting AMI
a more practical and up to-date com
troll Of both the revenue and the ex-
pendithres Ct the ,gQlHy .f
Taxation. = 80. :, -,
An investigation of the, methods Of
assessing real and personal property
In the Territory Of Hawaii was made,
The findings of the joint committee
were that there is nc. Standardization
of property values for taxation pur-
poses. Instances are cited to show
the lack Of uniformity between pres
ent valuations. fSees report dated
November 8. 1914
~ y uTIHeF Hqdlfy HUI s1litS ouDJCCi
has not been possible owing to our at
tenticn being more Immediately given
to proposed changes in the accounting
system. We therefore have no recon-
mendations to make other than those
suggested in the report Of November
3. 1914.
A survey was made Of the admins
tration and financial control of the
Territorial Board of Health. Recon-
mendations were offered which would
insure far greater efficiency of admin
istraticn by centralizing certain health
matters in che branch of the govern:
ment lSee report dated December {,
1914.)
Al supplementary report was submit
ted on the inspection Of dairies IN the
City and County Of Honolulu and the
collection Of milk nceRsss- Out -of63.
diaries found to be. in operation in Ho-
nolula the records In the county treas
urer's office showed that only % bad