The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-08
ONE CHARTER.

The draft of charter for the City
and County of Honolulu as submitted
by the charter committee to the Re-
publican charter commission has been
printed. 1t is a very lengthy document
and must have cost considerable for
type writing and printing If it gets
into the House it will take a long time
to read, and a still longer time to
translate, and there will be a consider
able bill for that work and for engross-
ing.
There is a mass of detail and guam
tity of undigested stuff which has no
place in a charter. The trainers have
mixed up city ordinances with charter
privileges, and have tied up their alder
men in such a way that there will be
nothing for them to do. Why whole
sections of the penal and civil code
should be copied into the charter YER
batim is by no means clear. Then again
1t is evident that the city ordinances
of some city on the mainland have been
laid under contribution without con,
'sidering the applicability of the terms
here.
Thus in section "a, subdivision there
is a reference to "Cabmen." Now we
have no "Cabmen' here, because we
have no Cabs" So also there is a.
provision against selling Intoxicating
drinks to servants" without the con-
sent of their lawful protectors" Who
are the lawful protectors of All Sin or
kikigawa and their like? All Sin is
his own lawful protector, and Mrs.
Jones who employs him certainly does
not regard herself in any SUCH light. nor
has Mrs. Smith any protective rights
over Kikigawa, her Japanese cook. No
doubt, at certain times she devoutly
wishes she had. OF course such a refer
ehce TO servants" must be to bond
servants, which we certainly do not
have here, nor do they have on the
mainland. This section and others have
evidently been copied from some source
outside of the United States.
Ihere are many amusing slips which
snow haste, or want of care on the mart
OF those who drew up the document
For instance the city clerk accordine
10 the charter shall engross all tbe
- ordinances of the Board (of Aldermen
In book provided for that purpose
with proper indices (sic)." Indices are
ihe little figures used in algebra IN
snow to what power a symbol is raised
VI course what the trainers meant
We're proper indexes" which is tba
plural of the word index when appIied
10 Inc lists of contents of a bool, ar
BOOKS. 1t is not to be supposed +bo+
'he Kramer or trainers did not UNDER
Stalu TINS difference, but it marks a
shpshod method of doing work. which
uoes not create confidence in other
more important items,
The Star has always held that speciat
charters for each city and county ara
d" mistake and are liable to create
confusion and be damaging to special
SECTIONS OF the State or Territory. What
should be passed is a general act un-
der which any city or county in the
territory could be organized JJpon
SUCH general act there would. in all
PROBABILITY, be considerable unanimitv
OF opinion. The advantages are mani
Test. We would be all under one mi
-AS'Ai OiAC GIlu Ol Ile Ierrl-
tory to the other. There would be nc
necessity for an act of over 20 OOC
WORDS A very much simpler, and more
concise act might be drawn up. and
simplicity is the essence of good law
The tendency on the mainland is tc
nave a general act for each State anC
territory, under which, as cities grow
up, they can be organized. 1t has beer
round to work well, and to do away
with lot of unnecessary time taker
up In framing special charters. More.
over 1t Keeps out, in very large meas
ure the cranks.
Inc Republican charter commission
has certainly got together a large
aggregate of words, and some Yer,
good ideas, but it has produced a do.
cument of unwieldly length, and deal.
ing in details which have no place ir
an original charter. The lack of sinner
vision upon portions copied from othe,
charters is also strongly manifest
rake 1t all in all, such a charter womb
not meet the desires of the citizens O
Honolulu. Even as an experimental
study, it is crude and undigested 7
may serve, however, a good purpose il
showing what to avoid.