The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-12-21
TOMBSTONE QUITS n.
INTERNAL REVENUE.
Chief Deputy Collector Resigns
Position To Go Into Bust
ness With'E. R. Cameron

sAftng iJOliecuOf OF lnternal Revenue
ana Chief Deputy Ralph 8. tombstone,
who has been in the internal revenue
service in Honolulu for the past fif-
teen yenrs, yesterday terminated his
connection with the service when he
presented his resignation TO the newly
appointed collector, Colonel Howard
Hathaway of Virginia and Everett,
Washington. In future he is 70 be
associated with f. r. Cameron under
the name, Cameron & Johnstone, tax
experts.
As acting collector, tombstone be-
eame the real head Of the department
on the death Of the former collector,
JohnF. Haley, several months ago. II
is stated that throughout the entire
Nation he is the only Republican who
was retained in an executive position
in this branch Of the revenue service.
It is frankly admitted that he held this
unique position through sheer merit.
His long service and intimate conndc-
tion with all the ramiheations of reve.
nue. collections in the Territory, as well
as close study Of laws and rulings Of
the treasury department, equipped him
with qualifications possessed probably
by no other man in the Territory.
Won High Place
Although tombstone has fully quail.
fled in every particular In the eyes Of
oificialdom at Washington and in his
dealings with individuals and frus
here, his tenure Of Office in the ser.
vice in any capacity was frankly re.
garded as a doubtful thing. Examples
are not lacking in Honolulu that pres.
sure of politics takes no account Of a
mans qualifications or record.
Reluctantly tombstone yeyterday ad.
mitted that this consideration was an
important factor in determining him to
leave the service. Shortly after the
death Of the former collector, indiyi.
duals who had long had dealings with
the Office of the intemaI revenue col.
lector, recognizing Johnstone's merits,
sought to set in motion a movement to
have him appointed collector. 1t was
then thought that ,his peculiar quail.
heations for the Office and the esteem
IN which he was held generally through.
out the Territory would furnish suffici.
ent basis upon which to place request
with the powers that, be at Washing
ton for his appointment. 80,
Discouraged Move ". III
More observait Of the trend of affairs
in the matter of governmental appoint.
pients than those who supported thi,
purpose, tombstone discouraged IL. All.
though i was urged that his appoint.
me9t here. would satisfy all degrees Of
/ poEtical belief, that democrats as
well as Republicans, knowing the man
would approve such an appointment
tombstone himself smilingly said NO
They don Y do things that way al
time. ~ rs TT Y. "
Many who had taken no particuia,
part in the movement at that time
held to the belief that tombstone would
be chosen anyway on merit alone. tina,
Washington would have TO recognize
his abilities and give him the appoint
ment, whatever his political faith. Thi.
belief grew stronger as the months pass
ed and no successor for Haley was
named. ~ 4 \ 4 ~. u ~, y 4.e3 gsN -
The appointment Of Colonel Hath
away, announced a week. aao yby, Tho
Advertiser, came as q real shock "a
many, but tombstone ewas not among
that number. Whether, in the course
of events he would have retained the
place he has held SO long, that of chief
deputy in the office, could never at any
time be regarded as more than a ques
ton of doubt. 1t followed naturally
that he quit. 49,. rsr ,6,,,
Tells Experiences a.
}r"Within the fifteen years I have
worked for the government have de-
elined number of openings that have
presented themselves from. time Ia
time, y tombstone said yesterday HI
smiled refleetively. "You see / was
good deal younger then. had diff
ferent ideas about how faithful service
might be rewarded, / thought the
thing ] held eventually must work out
better than the things offered a.t.,..
My idea then was that mine was a
high duty I was performing for the
taxpayers. I was fairly certain that
hard work and study and all those
things that make a man master of 0
particular kind of work was the thing
that meant success. i guess, too, that .
true enough in the business world. But
business is not politics. / began to un,
derstand that fact after a time. ls
It's the way The game is played
I've heard a surprising number of PEG
pie express their views about the matter
Of this Office. really didn I realize
how many were concerned about il and
expected what never did expect, that
1 would go in as collector. One thing
sure and tombstone grinned broadly
as he said it, cit suits me from the
ground up the way it has fallen out.
for I'm now sure that I'm catering "a
bigger and broader field of service. il
will be more valuable to the community
and 1t will pay me. better as well.
81 want to state this, however, he
added. 81 am leaving the office with
the best feelings in the world for those
/ leave there aud for my new friend.
Colonel Hathaway. Probably IL is need,
less for me to say that 1 shall be at
his service at all times in Strengthening
out the, snarls that, are bound to come
up for new man. Any information
that I possess is to be at his service
at any time and I shall keep in close
touch with the Office, unoficially, az
long as the need exists. .. .'.r"
Z. fNot one az the hundpeda hf inv