The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-09-14
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

made . great display OF governing
with publicity SION after they first
took hold Of affairs, They were 60
ing to do nothing well, hardly any
thing-without giving tho press q
chance to look on at the doing for |
the information OF the public. There |
vas a mode for evading publicity
adopted, however, to 10 practised
whenever it was convenient to worh |
iu the dark. Executive session
was the mode. 1t was brought into
play weekly in tho Councils. Some
times there it was doubtless advisa-
bic and even necessary to employ
secrecy, as for instance when mat
tiers connected with the state Of
siege which practically prevailed had
70 be considered. II is certain, at
the same time, that the Councils Of
ten went behind closed doors when
matters OF whose details the public
should have been apprised were to
be discussed. That the secrecy vi
proceedings was sometimes question.
sble at the least was shown by the
efforts Of some Councillors 10 have
them conducted openly. Latterly,
or since the proclamation Of the re-
public, executive sessions" OF the
Councils have been rare. The Board
a. Health now takes up the cue and
IL assumes the awe-inspiriug func.
ton Of going into executive SEES
sion" at its weekly or semi occasion.
al meeting. 1t has always been Oh
open question whether . subordinate
administrative body, like the Board
Of Health or the Board Of Educs-
ton, ought to have open sessions at
all. With functions almost e1clu.
sivsly sIecutive-ths exception be.
ing . certain amount Of Legislative
power in making regulations, etc,
granted by the statute laws-and
being responsible to some main
department Of the government,
there Is room for much argument
iu favor OF having the delibera'
tions Of such . body held in pri.
vate, but with the understanding
that oil its conclusions are mad.
immediately available to the public
ct the headquarters Of tho psrticu.
lar body. Then there would be time
or there ought to be-for public
opinion to give forth its utterauce
before the head VI the department
had ratified the action Of the board
II Il had awakened any controversy
Under q normal condition Of 70
sponsibls government, such . pro
cess Of administration would not b.
Objectionable. But the way thing
gro dono here nowadays there Is II,
security for the public against pre-
cipitation in executive acts Of kline
hat should at the least be place,
On the defensive. There are scarce
ly any Government contracts giSel
out, or appointments to public posi-
ton made, where there is not som
competitor, or relative or bushes
associate VI competitor, sitting q
the council board where tho particu
lar thing is decided. IL is therefor
right that the public should dc
mand, to have the light OF publicit
thrown, at . timely stage, upon tn
transactions Of all subordinate I'D
ministra,iye bodies. Allowing tha
some matters Of detail might pro
perly be discussed privately, til
public should have opportunity {
knowing what is the subject Of di
cussion. As Il is, ofteu the first Ii
public know about important que
tons Is when secretly devised hi
10 sprung upon the temporary lesi
lature, with not infrequently su a
tempt being made TO railroad
through. The Board OF Health
now considering the question OF r
lieving . steamship company OF
now useless hulk and transformir
il at great expense into fumigatir
vessel. This il one OF those matte
wherein . miscellaneous body
men may, for want OF special kno'
ledge, put the country to 40 g
psnse for . particular service Il
beyond an amount that would yiel
better value than that obtaine
To show how liable the country
to suffer in this way, it is only niece
sary to point to the case here me-
toned. A committee has been Sc
to report upon the matter, . MI
ority OF whose members are int,
ested in getting the old hulk of
steamship company's hands for q
price that can be obtained.