The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-07
REPUBLICAN CITY CHARTER
A DOCUMENT OF SEVENTY SIX
THOUSAND WORDS.
Creates Dozens of Officers aud Public
Jobs and Copies Whole Sections of
The Civil and Penal Codes.

The Charter Committee of the Repub
lican Charter Commission mas complet-
ed its draft of a charter for the CITY
and County of Honolulu" and the draft
has been printed and is now ready FOR
consideration. II is i'm the form of a
bill to be presented in the Legislature
and creates the city and county Of Ho-
nolulu out of the district of Kora,
Oahu.
The draft takes up 10 pages Of
printed matter running AIS words to
the page, and 67g sections
Congress was able to provide a COM
plete organic act for the entire territory
in 80 pages running 343 words to the
page and 104 sections. The size of tbe
committees draft of 3 ciJy charter as
compared with the organic act Is there
ofre i'm the ratioi of &C. 80 words 10 1897
words.
The draft provides city and county
government with legislative, admins
trative and judicial departments aud q
list Of officers whose aggregate salaries
from the very beginning Of municipal
existence, before a simple clerk or mere
employe has been hired and without
touching salaries of police force. fire
department. street department, school
department, that must by their very
nature aggregate from 500 GOO to $780,
600 a year.
The salary of the Mayor is fixed at
$1,000 a year There are TO be eight
wards, each having two aldermen, each
alderman receiving an annual salary OF
5000 a year The aldermen are to have
a sergeant-at-arms and all other
| "needful' assistants. The city clerk is
to get $1,000 "a year and appoint such
deputies or clerks as are necessary
/ The following departments are created
each with a head Department Of
/ Finance, with treasurer and an audi
| tor law department; police department
/ department of public works; depart
ment of parks; department of water
supply; fire department; department Of
| taxes and assessments, boaru Of taxes
| and assessments; department Of pub
lie instruction department of health;
and department of registration and
elections
Besides the chief of police there may
be two deputies chief of police" and
there shall be "a captain of police for
each ward, and such lieutenants of
police as occasion may require.
The draft goes into minute details of
mere police regulations such as the
number of cattle that may be driven
along the streets in one bunch 1t would
seem that the board of aldermen
would have little to DO. The draft also
goes into minute details of building,
quarantine and health regulations and
into the duties of officers, the number
of bricks to be put in building walls
and many other things of like nature
Whole sections of the penal and civil
codes are copied verbatim into the
draft Poll, cart, carriage and dog
taxes are provided for. Also an in
come tax and a tax on real and per-
sonal property.
The Board of Aldermen Gre given
power "to enforce the due observance
of the Lords Day, commonly called
Sunday" But in the So specific grants
of power to this board there is none
giving it power to license regulate oil
prohibit the liquor traffic. In fact there
does not seem to be in the whole draf
any provision regarding this genera
subject. though the board is giveI
power "to prevent the sale of any in
toxicating drinks to children, appren
tees or servants without the consen
of their lawful protectors"