The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-08
rAxpAYER ". JOB CHASER.


One is that which makes everything
turn on the welfare of the people. II
is marked by economy of administra-
ton, civil service rules. low taxes, or
Derby conduct and high degree OF
honesty and efficiency among office
holders. The other method looks first.
last and all the time to the welfare OF
the party in control of local affairs.
Usually it results in extravaganza, the
spoils system, high taxes, disorderly
politics and a low degree of official
honesty and capacity. True, 1t is often
practicable to get the right sort OF
local government from the officials
elected by given party but that is
only when the members of that party
are strong enough to rid themselves OF
bosses and patronage-brokers and
when they apply the rule that he who
serves his country best serves his par
ty best.
The two systems are visibly embodied
in the taxpayer and the job-chaser.
The taxpayer eares nothing for politics
as a trade and in his local affairs he
wants small expenses and good gov
eminent; and so long as an official
lives up to these rules he is no more
willing to have him turned out than he
would be to have a faithful employe in
his private business evicled for the
sake of giving the salary to somebody
from the. street. 1t Is quite otherwise
with the job-chaser who eats taxes
rather than pays them. He is always
a politician by trade, as apt with the
phrases of patriotism as he was in DR..
Johnson's day and professionally eager
to multiply officials so as to keep his
party machine well-oiled. Patronage
is the life of job chasing. Without il
there can be no following for a boss
and no boss for a following. Hence
the avidity with which the tax-eating
class enters into any scheme which
promises to increase the number OF
local offices and add to their emolu
ments.
We have In mind a clear illustration
of how the two systems work. Years
ago there was a small city in Califor
MIA which was governed with village
simplicity. II had three policemen, in
Guiding the City Marshal. and the rest
of the official class was ordered on the
same small scale. The form of gov
eminent was cheap, workable and
highly efficient, and under 1t the town
thrived. Then came a boom and the
place grew five times larger in the
number of its transient and settled in
| habitants. This, on a stretch, would
have warranted the appointment of
fifteen policemen and the making of a
corresponding increase in the person
mel of some other branches of city ad-
ministration; but what the place got
were thirty-five policemen and an off,
cial roster which was stuffed like a
goose for Christmas. One man could
no longer oversee street-sprinkling
and, in company with the Mayor and
City Attorney. let Improvement con-
tracts-there had to be Board oil
Public Works. Where six wise men
who were enough to manage the big
gest railway system In the world-hac
met as trustees or as a common council
and had directed the public concerns
of the town, two legislative houses
were organized. These were a Board
of Delegates and Board of Aldermen
The city had grown five-fold. but the
office holding class had grown on the
average twelve-fold. Expenses mount
ed up until the city found itself paying
ties which could have been performed
or obtained at private contract FOL
$1,000. The extra $4,000 per month wa
the tribute paid by the taxpayer to thu
taxeater; by men of thrift and sub
stance to the predatory horde of job
chasers that is ready on all occasionl
to seize whatever the property-owner
do not stand over with a club.
1t came about in this way. Seeing
that the old town was taking on new
life and might become a big place +:
number of San Francisco politicians
formed a ring and went there to do
politics. Rallying all the hummer
and poisoning the minds of the new
corners against the old settlers the,
succeeded in carrying the primarie
and getting control of the dominan
party. They succeeded in electing :
few County officials including Su
perior Judge and they sent a smooth
rascal to the Legislature who secured
the enactment of a ponderous cit.
charter which they had already log
rolled through the local polls. For
while the ring had it's own way, but II
the meanlIIne the taxpayers wer
awakening. Two years brought abou
a decided change. An honest Crane
Jury indicted the Judge, the Distric
Attorney and a ring Supervisor;
wronged woman shot another of tn
gang; the legislator was literally whip
ped out of politics; and in a little whil
the control of the city and county wen
into the hands of the taxpayers VIII,
hold it yet. They cut down expenses t,
. $4,000 per month but could not do bet
ter because of the demands of the cit,
charter, an instrument which civil
pride forbade them to send back to tn
Legislature for repeal.
The situation thus outlined bears
close resemblance to that which exist
in Honolulu today. There are politica
rings here which demand, in the nam
of parties, the right to multiply pat
ronage and begin costly public enter
prises for partisan and personal gain
They care nothing for the taxpayer ex
, cept as COW to be MIXED. What the
; want is to have enough salaried place
, at their disposal to buy the infiuenc
, of factionai Understanding to Civ
the men who run the piece clubs. Tha
Is the true inWardness about all thes