The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-17
MUNICIPAL LAW.


The subject of municipal government
viii be one of the first things that our
Territorial Legislature will have to at
tend to, and the community is already |
aroused to the Importance of the sub
scot. 1t is forming the chief matter for
discussion before the Social Science !
Club. the Young Mems Research Club,
and the Triangle Club These discus
sions will be Of infinite value, as they
MIL turn the minds Of the thinking por-
ton of the community to the examines !
ton and the study of municipal gov
aerpment elsewhere, with the object of
applying the lessons to our local needs,
The first thing that will have to have
consideration will be whether each
charter shall have special legislation,
or whether the charters shall be OBJ
tanned under a general law which shall
deal with cities, towns, and villages, as
the division is sometimes made, or with
cities of the first, second, third and
other classes, according to the number
OF population.
President Dole in his remarks before
that special legislative acts for each
charter bring politics into municipal
AFFAIRS, and politics should be kept out
OF them as much as possible. What
one wants in city government is the
hest men, irrespective of politics. We
want honest, clean and economical gov
eminent. We want the city taxes to be
expended in the best way possible. We
want our machinery to be so constitut-
ed that we may avoid the scandals
which have disgraced so many munich
palities, where the city funds have been
raided by INSCRIPTIONS politicians, and
a burden of debt has been cast upon
the citizens.
But the best machinery in the world
will be of no avail unless the voters
themselves take interest in it's working.
The price that people pay for the good
government of their city, once they
have the requisite machinery, is to take
a practical and constant interest. Spas
mOdic effort is of little avail, 1t must
be case of perpetual vigilance. And
the training which the citizen gets by
looking after his local affairs fits him
for the broader political life of Terri
torial legislation, and then National
legislation.
That so much interest in this matter
is shown already is most healthy sign.
1t shows that we as a community are
preparing ourselves for our duties. Up
to the present we have been very much
in leading strings. Our legislation has
been of the grandmotherly type. Many
a capable man, who has had the right
to vote, has simply not awaited himself
of his vote. Many large property own
ers have considered it sufficient to
work through the governments of a
past period. Now we shall have to
work for ourselves. Intelligence and
honesty will always win in the
long run and it is intelligence and
honesty that go to make up the ma
pority of our citizens. That among our
ranks there are some who may be venai
and lacking in political and civic NOR
ality is true, but such are soon found
out, and their end is sure.
Starting as we shall do, with the ex-
perience of others behind us, from
whose successes and failures we can
learn, there is no valid reason why we
should not avoid the pitfalls that are
made plain to our eyes, and win the
successes which are patent We ought
to have a thoroughly good and compre-
hensive act under which our municipal
tiles can organize, and we ought then
to be able to conduct them in such
no ha nd nv
ourselves with pride, and by our less
favored neighbors with wholesome
envy.