The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-08-24
GOVERNMENT AND UTILITIES.

The objects which our valued con-
tributor, Mrs. Eanes, seeks I'm city
government are for the advantage
of Honolulu but they may be had as
easily and without the expense OF mu-
nicipal officers from the Territorial
government. This government as 1t
stands is a municipal system with en-
larged powers. 1t looks after streets.
bridges, sewers, police. health. fires
sanitation and the like and does 1t eff
ciently and honestly; and amenable as
it is to the terms of Legislative aPpro-
priation, it becomes the attentive ser
yitor of every town and district In tho
Hawaiian group. Unless taxes are to
be raised to a dangerous hight it can.
in its broadly paternal way, provide
more public utilities for the Islands
than could be had from local taxation
under city and county systems, the
reason being that 1t has to deduct from
the aggregate revenue only enough to
support one set of officials while under
the more complex government enough
money would have to be taken out to
support three sets. The job-chasers
who have the municipal movement in
hand would not consent to take less.
Naturally the more officials paid for
out of the Treasury the less money will
remain for improvements; on the other
hand the more limited the personnel
and the simpler the methods of the ISL
and government the larger the sums
available for public works.
Mrs. Eames writes: THE first great
crying need of this iridescent dream is
clean city; and with this is mex
tricably involved the question of street
and building Improvement, because the
population is congested, and there can
be no intelligent move toward better
sanitary conditions until the people are
constrained by building and health reg
ulations to proper houses, on proper
sized lots. in proper streets"
The Territorial Government keeps
Honolulu cleaner than is any other
large city in the tropics except possibly
Singapore and not excepting the mill
tary bailiwicks of Havana and Santa
go. Street improvements are all the
time being made though the public
has not asked to have the picturesque
ness of our thoroughfares destroyed for
the purpose of making Partisan boule-
wards. Building laws, and quite as
suitable ones rs the 1iaWallan climate
requires, are enforced by the Board of
Health AS a rule we have proper
houses on proper sized Streets" at any
rate we should not be likely to do bet
ter in those respects If Honolulu had
an administrative system of its own.
The statement that the health of
Paris improved when the city was CIV
en- the most advanced utilities may be
accepted without forcing the conclu
sion, which an amusing contemporary
reaches, that such utilities must come
from the hand of n municipality or lose
their sanitary worth. Streets may be
kept as clean by the Territorial gov
health regulations enforced to as good
advantage. The auspices do not mat
ter, hygienically, so long as the work
Is done; but they matter very much
The Territorial govern
ment as ii stands gives much for little:
but the average American municipal
ity, which soon develops boss and q
for much. We venture the opinion that
Hawaii. If II keeps its present system
of Government for ten years to come. |
will have better and more public i'm
and will get them at less |
cost, than would be possible under |
county and city administrations. We |
think Mrs. Eames would agree with |
the Advertiser on that point If she We're
to analyze the present electorate.