Daily Honolulu Press

EXPENSE OF ROYALTY
In looking over the compiled laws passed by the Legislature of 1884, we find the Civil List leading the Appropriation Act-it is as follows: His Majesty's Privy Purse and Royal State $50,000; Her Majesty' the Queen $16,000; H. R. H. the Heir Presumptive, $16,000; H. R. H. Princess Likelike, $12,000; H. R. H. Princess Kaiulani, $5,000; His Majesty's Chamberlain and Secretary, $7,000; Household expenses, $2,000; Funeral expenses H. R. H. Kekaulike, $1931.36; Total, quite the sum for one family to draw from the pockets of a community of 80,000 souls. But this is unfortunately not all; we find further on--Palace stables, $18,000; for the Relief of Board of Genealogy of Hawaiian Chiefs, $10,000; Keeper Royal Mausoleum, $600; Keeper Lunalilo Mausoleum, $500; Expenses Royal Mausoleum, $250. Add to this at least sixty thousand dollars completely thrown away on "my" standing army of ninety men, when eighteen could fire the salutes and do all the guard duties really necessary, and the total foots up $89,350. Now add to this the still further sum of at least $150,000 rent of crown lands for each bi-ennial period. Add to the amount of $20,000 paid for His Majesty's debts, pile on this $40,000 coronation expenses, go on with the interest on the say $650,000 (spent on the Royal Palace) at six per cent. or $78,000 every two years. Now add up all these sums and we have the nice sum of $505,281.36 in round numbers. The people of Hawaii are called on to contribute this amount of a quarter of a million dollars a year for the inestimable privilege of being ruled. Let us compare our happy lot with such a ill-used and unhappy place for instance, as California, which pays its chief executive the annual sum of $7,000, and if we remember rightly no executive mansion, no stables, and no army but State military. Or let us look at San Francisco numbering near four times as many persons in the city limits as this entire Kingdom, and paying its Mayor $3,000 per annum. But we must also remember that the unhappy place is annually called upon to pay large sums for sewers and water and paving streets, while we get along without such foolishness; but instead we dutifully contribute our dollars to expensive royalty. Any one who cannot or will not see how much better we manage here than the people of California do, deserves to be frowned at by Royalty indeed. If our citizens die as a result of living among cesspools and an impure water supply, is it not easy enough to import an occasional cargo of Chinese from the Flowery Kingdom to take their places? Mr. J. M. Horner, in the late conclave of planters, expressed in a blunt way what is on the tongue of many thoughtless people of his own race.