Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 189, 8 May 1891 — Page 4

KA LEO.

 

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1891.

 

NOTICE.

 

Copies of the Ka Leo o ka Lahui can be found every morning at both the News Agencies in town. Price 5 cents a copy.

 

FINANCIAL REFORM,

 

All modern societies are founded on the principle that every man has to contribute his just share towards the maintenance of Government, and nowell-balance mind will be found objecting to pay a fair proportion of a just and honest taxation.  But the differencese of their opinion and sequence of disputes begin,s on the points as to what is fair, just and honest in taxation;  Their is no doubt that the financial system of this Kingdom is sorelyt in need of a thorough overhauling and remodeling. on a good many points, but especially on the two cardinal ones of @@@@ and collection.

 

Our system of assessment is, on the whole, absurd and unjust, making the poorest citizen to pay proportionately as much as the richest, and laying the bulk of taxation on the necessities of life or on the produce and revenue of hard exertions and work, instead of being laid principally on the foundation of all empires, that is to say on the land.  The true democratic principle of assessments is to tax land according to its real worth for cultivatiing purposes, and other values according to the revenue accruing from them.  The extraordinary wealth of France, proportion to its size, is mainly due to the facts:  1. That real estate there ils divided and owned by the masses, often in ridiculously small parcels, so that nearly every man in the country is a land-owner.  2. That the taxation of all land is leviled, not according to the casual crops grown on it at the whim of the owner, but according to what its natural fertility would allow it to grow if it were properly cultivated, and this is an incentive for every man to cultivate his property incessantly, so as to make it yield to the utmost, in order to be able to stand the taxation thereon.

 

Here, the system of estimating and assessing the best lands a mere trifle, if they are not cultivated. and then taxing crops without reference to the nature of the soil on which they are grown and the cost of their production, is entirely unfair.  Our lands ought to be classified by our Survey Department, agreeable to the general public standard, in classes according to natural fertility or capacity for culture; in France lands are divided for fiscal purposes, into 5 classes, from the poorest and lowest good only for wood and pasturage, up to the most fertile capable of the most exhaustive crops.  The immediate results of such a division here would be, first an incentive for extending the cultivated area, and second, a large increase in public wealth and public revenue.

 

At present, many of the most fertile soils, in lumps of thousands of acres, are owned or grabbed in lone leases, for speculation by rich men or corporations, who allow them to lay idle, or keep them for the useless and selfish purposes of running a few heads of pet cattle. or merely to prevent other people from getting hold of them, and consequently, such lands, often first class surgar or rice lands, are assessed a mere trifle of what they ought to pay.  If they were taxed according to real fertility, rich land would no longer be allowed to be wasted as pasturage or kept idle.  or would anyhow have to pay their equitable share of taxation as if they were duly cultivated; and if certain the present owners were unwilling or unable to pay the proper taxation on their unused lands, they would have to allow other people to take them in hand and turn them to account for the ultimate benefit of all.  This alone would be a very important result in a country like this, where lands have been so carelessly aliented by former governments and so shamefully grabbed by private parties, that it is next to impossible for poor people to get even a modest homestead, and much less to go into small farming, which is the only thing for rapidly building up the wealth and power of a nation..

 

The second point is the rotten system of collecting the taxes.

 

THE DUTIES OF THE PRESS.

 

The Ka Leo has been criticised at differnt times, which we stand with as good grace as my be and profit by when possible. But in regard to our respected contemporaries there is one criticism that is heard almost daily-there is nothing in them.

 

For a newspaper to contain no news is a very serious defect, but one easily accounted for in our position.  In the first place, there is little transpiring that can be considered news, and secondly, it is pretty hard to say anything without hurting some one's feeling.  The care our dailies excercise in this regard prevent them from publishing any news till after it is a certain and notorious fact, and from voicing any sentiments but well approved generalities. Their position is like that of a preacher who has a wealthy broker and saloon-keeper in his best paying pews, and an infidel who has a mortgage on the church sittng in the back seat, and an influential member whose relations with his servant girl has been questioned.  Now, a pious man, in order to avoid offending any one would have to leave out the usual teachings about morality and Christianity and considerably dilate whatever doctrines he had left. That is precisely what happens in many good churches.

 

The local papers are subsidised by people in various businesses to be still and prevent discussion.  It does not require a very high order of talent to say nothing and print advertisements,--church, government, liquor dealors, gin mills, and obscene patent medicines.

 

By the way, that chaste and immaculate "Adveertiser" who thinks it is unfortunate if our paper falls into the hands of a lady, appears daily with a conspicuous notice of Big G. a patent remedy for Gonorrhoea and Gleet, also whites, and another illustrated one about rupture.  The "Advertiser" has opposed every reform that has ever been made or suggested; has looked with a solemn pious face while the treasury has been robbed, public offices given a pensions to the black sheep of the family compact while the administration of justice has been made a farce, while the people native and white are being driven to the wall by Asiatics.

 

Now the "Advertiser" says it is an oversight that the Postmaster General has not being required to give bonds.  Is it not and oversight that the public offices are full of ante-reform, ante-deluvian corruption?  Every lease, sale and contract has been a job.  An honest man cannot exist in the country without a "pull."

 

The country is full of slavery, whiskey, opium, sexual immorality.  These things are daily overlooked by the press that like our other institutions has no other aim that to pay dividends.  We quarterly expect to hear Fort Street Church has declared a devildend.

 

It is our business to hold up to scorn the corruption, the shams and weaknesses of society that they may be purified by light and air.  We are condemned a being scurrilous and coarse.  We receive more censure for calling public attention to wrong doing than the wrong doers do for their sins.  In the "Paradise of the Pacific" it is a worse offence to refer to A's mistress that it is to keep a harem.  It is not the paper but the moral condition of the people that is vile, and which we strive to correct.

 

Was the Reform a Failure?

 

Any movement or attempt that fails to produce the expected effect cannot be considered a success.  If the "Reform" had any honest aim it never attained it, and it has not produced a single ripe reform.

 

The avowed object was to give the people some of the powers that belongs to them by divine right, and to secure a responsible government.  How completely the reform failed in this we have frequently pointed out.  The King's power was abridged.-but to what advantage?  Before, he ruled the land; now, he appoints four rulers.  The King could do no wrong; the cabinet can, but no one can call them to account for it.  They are as far out of the reach of justice as the King's self if they are corrupt, they are in a positions not only to escape punishment but also to wreak vengeance on any one bold enough to say they are corrupt.

 

The party carried with it many honest, intelligent men who formed the bone and sinew of the whole movement.  If these had been duly considered and given some share of the spoils of victory the party might have escaped defeat in the last election.  But the leaders instated their kin and friends and left in office a number of dishonest and incompetent individuals whose position gave them a pull, though they had been opposed to any reform that might diminish the pleasures and profits of office holding.

 

The Reform did not give a popular form of government, did not make officers responsible did not purify the public service, and was defeated at the first election according to the very provisions in its constitution that had been inserted to secure it in perpetual power.  What a record of failures!

 

Further its organ, the "P.C. Advertiser" is silenced by a small sop in way of "By Authority" advertisements from the present scrub cabinet, so that the defunct reform has not even a voice raised in its defence.  Still a reform was and is a crying need.  We did not favor the reform movement of 1887 because the revolutionary resort to force a fraud, and because it was in no wise a sincere effort to improve government.

 

The reforms we need are hard to secure primarily because of a lack of a healthy moral tone.  Opium, gin, slave dealing; bribery. jobs and corruption of justice. are not vigorously condemned even by those christian people who do not directly profit by these nefarious practices--the guilty ones are not ostracised.  Speak evil of no one.  Smooth it over, whitewash it, forget and forgive: reform has not yet been, and the tune thereof is not yet.

 

ON DIT.

 

That some of the Marshal's deputies are worse law breakers than those they are sent after to prosecute.

 

That Hilo's good people are no doubt enjoying a canrnival of ungodliness imported into that sedate town from the Gomorrah of the Pacific.

 

That the egress from Oahu is being closely guarded by the Chief and his subordinates here, but how about the other islands.

 

Thant Tommy has put in an appearance to satisfy his numerous inquiring friends who were beginning to get anxious that some under handed work had been done to him to run him out of the country.  Others may desire that, but Tom, ah, never.

 

That since that yahct got copies of the Leo on board, showing how closely we were on her trackk, and how the flying squadron was being got ready for sea, under the command of some of our old sea Neptunes, she has deemed it discreet to disappear for awhile like the phantom "Dutchman."

 

That an explanation will probably by asked by the Foreign Office here from the British Government in reference to the inexplicable conduct of a 'bloody' little pirate flying the 'Jack' by Jove.  We think it is awful mean to add to England's difficulties with other nations by any demands from Hawaii nei, just at present.

 

That the Prince of Marshals has created havoc and consternation in the opium circle and we hope in justice to the poor heathen chinc@e, who is being punished for using the stuff which enlightened and christian friend has been allowed to smuggle into the country and sell to him, that some of the opium pirates may be seen together with the victim of his avarice strutting the streets dressed a la Tripp.

 

That the Leo would like to give the Advertiser credit for something, but as the columns of that sheet only show amateur daubs of black and white, it cannot.

 

That Honolulu is dull evenings for the want of Berger's Band.  The Pedro and Poker loosers seem to feel depression severely

 

That the steamer Kinau arrived at Hilo quite early yesterday morning, and after Professor Berger and his boys had tooted their horns seven times, Hilo awoke from its slumbers, and as soon as it was found out that the savage breast had received the soothing dose, the royal party disembarked and received with a Japan @eee salaam by the chief representatie@ of the executive and the judiciary.

 

That the entertainment given by her Majesty through the Premier of Waianae for the Masonic guests was a great success, but that the masonic fraternity of Honolulu was very slimly represented.

 

That Tommy will be found to-day, and as a further postponement would appear too glaringly barefaced we expect to see a lengthened trial inaugurated for the sake of eliciting, of course, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!

 

That if the Marshal will send some one to the East end of Lanai he may make a haul.

 

A ROMANCE.

 

(Continued.)

 

"Here are some new arrivals," he said, "I don't see how they are out of quarantine yet.  They are nice and clean looking. There is a chance for you to do some missionary work."

 

The lady who was a handsome well dressed woman of forty spoke to Nyama, " I hope you are a christian," she said.

 

"I am not exactly a christian," replied Nyama; "but I have the greatest veneration for the teachings of Christ and for his followers."

 

The lady was evidently surprised "Why, how well you speak English!" she exclaimed.

 

                              "Yes," said Nyama.  "I have lived several years in America."            

 

"Well, I'm so glad to meet you.  I am sure you could do so much for your people if you would try--to bring them to Christ.  Now I want to have a good talk with you, pray come to my house today.  I am so interested in missionary work.  My name is Mrs. Porter, Mrs. Judge Porter.  Don't forget to come--two in the afternoon."

 

"I am sure it will be a great pleasure," said Nyama.

 

When they were on their way to the hotel the superviser explained that Mr. Porter was a judge, and a very influential man, and that his wife was devoted to missionary work and did not hesitate to go into the slums.  "You want to be very careful, for if you make a good impressioon and they take you up, your fortune will be made, you will have what they call in English a "pull."  You can't get along without a pull in Bowowee," he concluded as at the hotel they parted

 

Nyama and Faza were much please to find the best and most aristocratic people so interested in the welfare of the very humblest.

 

Tuesday they put on their best foreign clothes, and at two o'clock promptly called at the house of Judge Porter.

 

They knocked at the door and waited.  After sometime it was opened by Mrs. Porter, who greeted them very kindly @ but not very joyously Nyama fancied; and as the visit progressed he thought he detected something of the peculiar expression as if the lady were determinately performing some unpleasant task.

 

But still, she was very gracious, she began by asking a great may question, rather too much, Nyama thought.  She wanted to know all about their histories, and how long they had been married.

 

"You're really married, of course I hope?  Like christians you know."  Nyama was happy to assure her that they had been regularly and duly married.

 

Mrs. Porter looked relieved.  "How could you live so long under christian influences and not become a follower of the Saviour."

 

You don't know how precious the Saviour is to my heart.  I just grow in Christ year by year.  You know Jesus died for you, and every body.  God is all goodness and wisdom, he loves every one, even the worst sinners.

 

He required the blood of ever so many innocent animals every year to be sacrificed to Him on altars.

 

(To be Continued).