Hawaii Holomua, Volume II, Number 9, 11 January 1894 — The Appraiser. [ARTICLE]

The Appraiser.

Mr. C. J. Fishel has been flving around \vitb a petitiou araong tbe raercbants of Honolulu, asking for their endorse- | ment to his application for tbe uew position as appraiser at tbe Custom House, wiiieh our eeonomieal goveruraent proposes to establisb. Mr. Fisbel we understand to be backed by tbe anneiation eluh, und all tbe otber political combiuations and be is as far as we are concerned, perfeotly weleome to get tbe oftice and tbe salary ($3000 a year). Ainong other applicauts we hear meution made of Messrs E. Damon, Gunn aud Boardman. No doubt all tbe gentlemen applying for tbe “fat” billet are corapetent to fili the position, but we sbould > sav so in a raore bearty mauner if somebody would define tbe duties of an appraiser in a raore specific manner. In 1880, under the Gibson adraiuistration tbe positiou of appraiser was established, and we tbe howl whieh tbe dry-goods firras and importers in town raised agaiust tbe oftice generally, and tbe incurabent especially; at tbat time, tbe salar\’ was placed at $1,200 a year, and tbe oflice was discoutinued as soon as tho ieforra party weut iuto power. j Tbe elaim was tbat tbere was i absolute!y no necessity for sucb ■ an oAiee, and that it was; sinfnl extravagance to use i 1 tbe taxpayer’s money for tbo j pnrpose of establishing sucb a ; sinecnre. What may we ask bas ; bappened since tben whieh i makos tbe oftice of appraiser a j necessity whieh is to fill a long ; felt want? Or is it possible tbat the rainister of finance believes that the treasury to-day ean afford what be araong otbers seven 1 years ago termed a wasteful extravagance? We believe tbat an appraiser is decidedly unneces- J sary. All goods imported bere are to by a Hawaiian Consul and we do not suppose tbat tbe P. G. for one moraent i will insiuuate tbat tbe firms abroad whieh deal witb our lo- j i (and bigbly respected) P. G. | 1 supporters or tbe Hawaiian | Consuls will lend tbera- ■ j selves to assist in or further fraudulent schemes. The Con1 ‘ j sul’s certificate to an invoice * \ must be sufticieut. What, with i all due respect to tbe gentlemen individnally—do Messrs. Fishel, Guuu, Dumon, or Boardraau j l : know about tbe prioes at whieh ; our loeal importers buy tbeir merchandise in Europe? Is it: 1 tbe intention if an importer re- ; eeives an inroice of goods from : England at a rcmarkably low - > ngure to autborize the appraiser j 1 j to raise the valne of invotced goods ' j to ihe &ame figure as that whieh > | some otlier aud more uufortuuate i ; firm has to pay? lf so an in- ‘ j jnstice will be done wkieh will j - i le«d the goveroment into eom- > ) p)icaticns of an unple«sant nature | i | with tbe foreign represeotatives ; I o£ some o( onr mercbants. Inj- ‘ | ag;ne tbat Uie sgenU in London { i of Mr. A., ere enabled to buv a t large bill of drygoods at a bank- - rnptcy saie at a very redoced ! figora aud sbip it io Mr. A. ia

Honolola invoicing it «t ihe j figare *ctnally 1“ tbe l vesael Mr. B. an other of onr esteemecl mercbants—reoeires an ! invoice froin bis sgente T lM»ngiit <lirwt from tfae manafactorer» ] and naturally at a price moeh | advanced to that whieh Mr. A.., bas to pay. The appraiser looks at both invoices and as he is a ’ friend of the P. G. supporting I Mr. P he immediatēly procIaims. j tbe with royalty-sympathixing ) Mr. A.. a fraad and compels him to pay duty on the full market j valne of the goods imported by , him. althongh the true valne as f per invoice sworn to before a , Hawaiian Consul is moeh iess. Anv merchant in the world who desires to do the square tbing j will realize wfaat an outrage, a partisnn appraiser ean comrait j against a comj'etitor iu business | or against an opponent to tfae i goverument wno is to pay tfae appraiser $3.000 a year for services iu their favor. There is no j neeessity for an appraiser to-day any more tfaan tbere faas been , for tfae la*t seven years during whieh period tfae Reform (P. G.) Partv snccessfully has combatted tfae measure.