The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-06-25
GENERAL REPORT
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
OF 1894
GENERAL REPORT
To THE HONORABLE GODFREY RHODES,
President offhe Leqislatire assembly:


To THE HoNoRABLE GODFREY RHODES
President of the Legislative assembly:
Your Committee ON Finance respectfully report that
they have sought faithfully to examine into the accounts
of the various Departments and Bureaus of the Govern
ment The investigations have entaied unusual care
and labor by of the confusion of accounts and
discrepancies in instances and for payments for
some objects having been made from different appropra
tons and from the many improper disbursements which
have demanded the most rigorous scrutiny.
As to the general method of keeping the public ac
counts the system heretofore observed has been followed
by most OF the Departments, with certain exceptions
which viii appear in the course of this report Your
Committee first visited the
DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,
And found the system OF accounts which had been etab
lshed in the previous biennial period had been main
tanned during the period just completed. The books
were well kept and the balances correct.
The several salary appropriations appear to have been
expended authorized The accounts of the shers of
Maui and Kauai were well kept and commended them
selves to the Committee; these officers to have
comprehended and observed the statutes and regulations
relating the payments account of criminal expenses
and incdentals The accounts of the sherfs of Hawaii
were not as satisfactory in some cases his vouchers
even being wanting Aside from the amounts he had
received for
INCIDENTAL EXPENSES,
he paid out upon this account sl,S46 70 from the
appropriation for criminal expenses The item of
payment for legal services for attorneys to appear for
him and prosecute police court cases appeared ire
Quently With the large number of police officers in
ilo it would seem strange that none of them com
petent to attend ordinary police court prosecutions
The accounts of the police of Oahu show an expend
ture of Sl21 6S on account of incdentals Lighting
the streets of Honolulu cost S9S52 The appropriation
for coroners inquests showed liberal payments for ex
penses in the few inquests which were held The Com
mittee would recommend that the appropriation be
somewhat increased in view of the Importance of sucl
iniuests being more frequently held
The accounts of the expenditures of the appropriation
for Apprehension of Criminals Incidentals" anC
Criminal Expenses were surprizng we found that NJ
less than S7140 had been paid from these appropriation
for legal services of which abut $3.50 were paid during
the last ten months of the period Fees for civil case
such as the aRdans in the matter of the Bonds
the matter of the Gazette charter advice to F H Hayse
den tax assessor matter of the Tax Appeal Board ant
similar matters were charged to criminal expenses O.
the 4th day of December 1888 $500 were paid from h
fund for fees in the mandamus case. February 90 1885,
there charge of $50 for engrossng Patents of Royat
charged to the ncidentas; the subscriptions paid to tn
p c. Advertiser for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and Marshal
Offices amounted to $40 80; another ITEM May II 1SS
lis S s. paid for costs in the of Lam POngvs r.
BckertOn. We understand this was a civil action f(
which Judge BckertOn personally responsible Sci
TENDER 80, 1888, S75 is charged for payment to W.
Wilcox for acting police Judge; this should have bee
paid by Judge Bckerton for whom the service was re-
dered February II, 1884, the Attorney General Pa
Neumann drew 800 for travelling expenses to Kauai
attend the Circuit Court the usual charge of the Kau
term being from S25 to $50 The charges for EXPIRE
hire were very light until the three months endil
March 81, 1854, when in the Attorney Generals off
alone S15S was paid for that object Among other e
penditures find $500 paid to Capt Trip, and $50
one Carson ian employee of the p C. AdretseJ) for
tain fruitess secret service expeditions.
Under the appropriation for the Apprehension ofCri
n inals found two items charged of 800 each viii
were most improper the first for fees to attorne
for defending two Chinese constables Akana and Akiol