The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-29
government EXPENSES
HOUSE COMMITTEE REPORTS on
CASH SPENT.
Military Roasted Again and Police.
Board of Health and other Depart
ments Also Criticized Severely.

The long expected report of the COM
mittee on public expenditures for the
last biennial period made it's appear
ance in the House this morning, with
its expected roast o. various depart
ments of the local government. The
Board of Health, military and police de-
partments come in for the heaviest crf-
ticisms, though the committee, basing
its reports upon a report of great length
made to II by an expert employed for
the purpose, makes many criticisms
of the whole system of expenditures in
vogue.
The report opens with the statement
that the per capita cost of government
| in Hawaii, as shown by the figures of
auditor Austin's books and the census,
is $l9.5S. In California in stated to be
only S4.06 and in the city of San Fran
Ecisco, which is supposed to be very cost
~, only SlS.43. The committee says that
further comment is unnecessary"
In the attorney generals or police de-
partment, the committee says it finds
| bills paid for meals, cigars and whis-
| key, hack hire, rent of rifle range belts
and clubs. There are also bills for
! gloves and silk ties and regarding
! these the committee says:
Your committee submits that it
| might have been to the interest of the
community at large if hemp had been
substituted for silk in that last item"
Bills for brushes and soap, newspa-
! pers advertising and printing also
| arouse the ire of the committee.
For stamps the departments bill
amounted to $919S2, which the commit
! tee thinks is too much and for ice the
! bill was 1857 So which is stated to be
excessive, where meals, cigars and
! whiskey were only $16S.75.
The military, previously reported on,
mas some more attention The report
says: Colonel j. w. Jones drew $291. 70
pay as commander of the First Regi-
ment during the month of January and
also S3s.5O as member of a court of
inquiry and as short hand reporter for
the courts $500, to say nothing of the
| payments accruing from extra work
c. w. Zeigler, major, drew $20S. 80
while on active duty and for communal
ton of rations 5000 during the period.
r. p. Myers who in like manner drew
$l5O.O4 as captain, forgot the legal in
junction that an officer of the govern
ment could not draw more than one
salary during one month and drew his
salary under the act to mitigate. John
Shaefer, captain, while not on active
service draws $50 per month and while
on active service he drew $4,000 and
$1S1.10 for Communication of rations."
AS TO Board of Health expenditures
the committee says that they were Eek
cessive unbridled and unbusinesslike -
The report says: The expenses of the
Bubonic Plague are shown by sub sec
ton 80 and speak for themselves. Any
thing we could say would not better
emphasize the lack of method and con-
sequent expense to the community in
handling this epidemic" Leper Settle
ment salaries are complained of and a
statement regarding the cost of the
settlement seems to mean, though it is
not very plainly put that the per capita
cost of running the settlement is $175.OO
per wear.
Expenses of the diplomatic and con-
sular service are called to attention as
too large and the committee reports as
unusual" charges for a special agent
to the United States, 100000; special
mission to London, $3,424.O6: special
agent TO Washington, IS, 023 40.
The committee recommends that the
system of allowing transfers of cash
from one fund to another as it is con-
venient be done away with and that a
better and more detailed system of
bookkeeping be adopted, complaint be-
ing made of large sums being unitemiz-
ed under such general heads as sta
tionery."
The report is signed by John Emmt.
luth, j. X. Kakaula, ID. X. Kaauwai, c
II. Dickey and w. II. Hoogs.