The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-09
ISLAND"
CITY VOTED DOWN
Republican Charter Committee Has
Hot Session.

wise administration, Congress would not
be impressed with our qualifications for
self-goyernment. Such treatiseS Would
be mere individual emanations. The
standard sought is not the high order OIL
the individual, but rather the high order
of the average. And this standard must
be demonstrated and proven by practice.
It is one thing to expound doctrines
another to carry them into practice.
Capitalization should give away because
it is ininical to American progress. 1t
is unwieldy and cannot adapt itself to
growth. Not deriving it's powers from
the people, it cannot be in touch with
their requirements. 1t is a species or
yice-royalty not in line with the majority
rule which has brought the United States
to the front among nations If not
usurpation of it, 1t is at least SUD-
stitution for true popular sovereignty;
campaign for decentralization is the duty
of the hour. We should inaugurate it at
once, and irfaugurate it in the only prac-
ticable manner open to us in conSonance
with the Organic Act. While We remain
in territorial condition, it is not pos
sible to acquire full governmental con-
troll We cannot replace the officers, but
we can abridge some of their duties.
1 hold it to be an unwritten command
of the genius of American institutions,
higher than any Congressional enact
ment. yet not inconsistent with it, that
we should Immediately assert ourselves
and enter upon an era of self-government
so far as possible. Full territorial con-
troll not being at present attainable, let
us assume such control as is within our
reach.
A county is the American unit of Ter
ritory. The territory does not consist of
one but of several such units. The coun-
ties should, We claim. be provided for
by one general act I am opposedi to
h. NV no, i0rit Of
this Committee, because it would make
our own County.a pioneer of units, leav-
ing others to wait and watch it's success
or to frame schemes of their own, which
might or might not be in line with our
own. If our erection of a county should
thus initiate conditions of incongruity,
the gain for popular ascendancy would
be Invested largely of accruing benefits.
Let the crusade against Capitalization
be instituted by the surrender of such
functions to all the counties as would
conduce to the general welfare. I have
my doubts as to this island by any act of
its own retaining a portion of the taxes
from the territorial government if the
other islands paid their full tax into the
treasury. / do not believe the legisla-
ture will provide for the erection of one
county. How could it consistently pass
law exempting this Island from a por-
ton of taxes, and at the same time
force the collection of the entire tax from
the other Islands?
A scheme of decentralization should
contemplate the transfer and distribution
of powers to all the counties and not an
assumption of government by one section
not allowed to and provided for Others
We contend that it is within the province
of this Committee to recommend the pas
sage of an act for general county organ
iZation. If it Is argued that the Commit
tee was appointed to frame charter for
the City of Honolulu; I would reply that
this appointment does not authorize the
erection of county on this island any
further than it does on all the group
If we are working on county organiza-
ton, let us make the scheme general and
the counties simultaneous. Our work,
no matter how exhaustive, is but rec
ommendatory. 1t must be reviewed by
legislature of the people. If the scheme
suggester by us is beneficial, there is no
treason why Oahu should monopolize all
the advantages.
If this Committee is authorized simply
and only to frame a charter for the CITY
of Honolulu, then it is competent for the
city to establish the limits of such city,
but not to incorporate County govern
ment with it. In the United States the
unit OF county is a township A town
ship is the space which a city NAV I'LL
tiTately occupy. The majority report Of
the Committee then would make Oahu
Z "hi lc"hSiip. II IS beyond the stretch
of probability that Honolulu could ever
cover the whole Island. To make city
government control a larger area than il
Will ultimately cover is to lessen its
efficiency.
am IN favor Of City government
lor honolulu, because it would make
needed improvements which would en-
nance values to such an extent that tho
extra taxation necessary to ACCOMPLISH
ment would be an insignificant factor
me payment of City taxes imposes a
Judicious expenditure Of the same The
wants OF city and county are not iden-
tical, and the area of a CITY should be
confined to limits which demand side-
walks, streets, etc. In my estimation tho
city or Honolulu should comprise the
popuious portion between, say, the west
ern boundary of Kamehameha school ana
the road on the east side of the Tram
"ass staoies' the sea on the south and
Io o,Hu.uary iine that would include Pacific
heights and Punchbowl slope.
although the county is the ,1nit ne the
territory. and the township of the conn
~, city is not a unit of either. II
Gears the same relation to the TERRITORIAL
government as does Eva Plantation #
eo,a,.o - pofdlIoh with separate officers.
sep&fate taxes, separate ordinances ond
- ohiy amenable to the general cow,
.Heht as defined by its charter ba,;
~ general, county organiza tion sn.
we oeIeVe we should give county COW.
ethIneht fair trial to see if the wa,,t.
VI honolulu are fairly met. IF oo,,,,t,,
senerhfnent should prove inadeouata -
oor needs then I believe civ inoor
ts should be established IF = ,la
ne ne sentiment of the Committee bowe1,ar
,ial d charter should at onca h. soo,I
,es US make the limits of the cit,, ao 81
pslLoIe with an efficient and en,,itotIa
administration of its affairs. 'i'''''e
Philip l. Weaver, who has r,ada
quite study of municipal ouestions
ana their application to Honolulu made
d strong argument in favor of restrict
ing the limits of the municipa1itv 70
.he district of Kona, but at the same
eilne incorporating both the county and
city. He claimed that by thus erecting
county with one set of officers for
the city and county that it would nre
vent the Legislature from afterward
erecting the Island of Oahu. Including
the city of Honolulu. into county
and saddling on the residents of Io-
noiulu the double taxation for city and
county governments and a double set
OF officers to administer the affairs.
Mr.. Weaver was often interrunted
and most of the questions were fred