Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 191, 17 August 1894 — HUMBUG! [ARTICLE]

HUMBUG!

i Minister I)*mon introUoce<l a l>i 11 at the eoaneil raoeting yestenlny whieli provides for certain appro|>riatioDs to be expend-c-d on pnhlie work' We sappose that tho 1>i 11 has been fnraed for the porpose of crcating au itnj rcssion that tiie govcrno*ent finaily inten<ls to spend «ome money on nineh ne«<le<l public i jiprovementa. oa roads, br*dges, wharv«j« anl other works in whieh the coontry at Iarge is interestcd. Bnt overybody eon\ersant with the stntus of the treasury will know that tfce said npj)ropriat:ons will ooly appeur on j>aj>ei while the raoney will continue to wander into tbe j>ockets of the bnngry aml nnnecessaiy hordes whieh are fod nndei the t;tle of army, poliee, sj*ies, 8|)ecials aiul gnards. ?linister Daraon’s bill is not consistcut with his Ltely nttered Rentiiii>-nts. Ile Lns appeared as a htrong advo<‘ate aguinst eon tinoed lcgislations by the eoancils and lie bas pointed ont that all law-imtking work shonld be reserved f r Ihe pr<>jterly electod Iegi.slatur«. Why theu does he now asks t!io conncils to p.iss au appropri ;tion bill for the ncxt hienuial period! Why n*t lenve to the i> , g:slnt ire t<> decido what nmoimts sball bc sjieiul aud how to sj>etid them. The iuinister knows as well us we do that there is uo moiio}' at jirosent for puhlie works. Very little work will be <lono before the logislature mcets —if ever fato decides it to moot it woul>l have been moro |iroj)er aud ap|*onrod more lionest to have left tlio disposal of the taxj)ayers inonoy to the Logislature instoad of linviugthe eounoils divide it up us thoy sce fit. W iien ILo rcvclufion took plaee there wns a fair ainonni of iuoncy in the troasury. An approj*riation bill had boen j)assed by a •‘refonn” leg!slature nnd nll uecess iry j>ublic works wore j>rovidod for. Siuce tho 17th of damiary 1H93, hardly a cont hns boou spon t on pnhlie works. Although wo are told that roveuuos havo inoroasod and o\pondituros diminishcd we fiudtoday an ompty troasury, aupaid bills and neglectod roads, water works, bridges, public bnildings and j)ublic proj>ertv generally. The j).issage of n biil nt this date with more appropriations for puhlie work.s docs not delude auybody. The gov< rnmont miy be ahle to 1111 its arcbivos with laws aad statutes, it caunot fi!l Iho treasnry witb money. Attoruey-General Smith twad dlcs eui n«ustftim ubont wondorful improvemeuts and roQiarkable oj>ouings. The Adveiii*er calls for a miilion dollars loan for tbe devolopniout of the oonnliy. The goverumcut agonts boom new iudustries and domonstrate tho uocessity of raore eheap labor, and still more eheap labor. Aml uowcomosthe niinisterof finance aud tells us that he is ieady to spend orer $-o().000 during the coming year on public works. lt is all huuibug. A gigai;tic humbug. ’ The loau act of January I7th, provides for the issuing of bonds to tho amouut of $1.000,000. Have tbey been takeu up Ko’ In spite of all indacements tbe patriots have not rashed forward aud investe<l their savings in these bonds. They ean be bought ut loss Uian par Thev are not tax b!e. They jv»y 0 p©r cent. ĪDterost. And yet, thero are no takers. And if these bonds cannot be sold, why does the Adirr(i*r, the offici»I organ, belie\’e that the proposed million doIIars loan ean be placed iu tbe ruarket w;th advantage; ; There is p!euty of mouoy in Hawaii, we am told, and tbe goverament has assurcd thc world that all the wealih in Hawaii is beld bv faithful suj>jK>rter.-i cf the govern)ueut. If tbat is truo, why don’t the«e ©wn,ere of the weallh eomo to ihe frout, take up tbe bonds nnd fitl our treasury. tbereby en-

ah|tcg tbe «<iininistrat:oa to give vork *otlt® niieaiployr*I. oj-en np tbe n»ysl« rioas nndevelcped :amis. an.i j at tbe puhlie works ol Uie coantry in a» gi»od a |»osi- : lion as tii»-y were prenously to the revolnti *r, whieh l»ankrnpted tbe goreniment of Hawaii|“Patriots are proj>osing to in-’ ; rest tbeir money in a trolley road , . whieh at its verv best, always will remain a very uncertim ' enterprise, and, if started, will | i never turn out to be a very paying eoneem, Why don’t tbe, patriots, who are ready to risk their eapilal in sncb a donbtfnl ' enterprise buy governmeut bon.Is ? They are safe and a ! sound investment accortling to tLeir own statements and six, seven or eigbt |>er cent. sure interest on eapilal is n t to be sneezed at in tbe.se days. And even after the government is changed, 5n»l tbe royal standard ’ tloats over lolani Hale, tbe prospects are tbat the bonds will not Jbe repudiated. but that the eon- ' stitationa) and legal government of Hawiiii will assnme the obligations of the oligarchy. And yet, tliere is no market for “repnhliean” bomls. Can tbe Ad~ i retity> r exj>laiu, why? Let, bowtver, Mr. Damon’s bill p»ss. aud let us have the ; sati-faction of kno\ving that, if he had the money, be wonhl spend $1-0,500 on Houolulu barbor; $03,150 on roads and i).:dges; $75,00l) on powder magizinos aml consrqnently on hos|iitals, aml $112.000 ou onr nineh' negleeted \vator works. It i is pleasant to know the good ) iutentiou of the min : stcr. A few . moie similar bills, and ho inay be able to nndertake the eou- I tract of paviug the sidewaiks loading to the plaee whieh is oven moro hopeloss than the j “republic’ of Hāwaii.