The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-01-15
MAKING THE
CITY CHARTER

to be- appointed for two years and TO be
o. physician.
4 poll tax and tax on real estate
and incomes,
Mayor to appoint all other boards
from among the Aldermen,
Police to be authorized 60 make ar
rests without warrants In case OF vag-
rants and prostitutes, etc.
Appeal from board Of assessors to lie
with the Supreme Court only.
To provide for n city prison; city
clerk to be appointed by the mayor
and confirmed by the aldermen and
paid a salary.
The council to meet every two weeks
on Wednesday at 3 =. m, and continue
in session until their work is complete.
Mr. Smith then read the outline pro-
posed by r. McCants Stewart, which
was based on the whole Island plan"
The points briefly were:
Chapter l. Boundaries-The entire
Island of oahu to be called the city
of Honolulu. Divided into wards same
as the present precinct divisions,
which would make seventeen wards.
Chapter II. Legislative Department
Board of aldermen. Two from each
ward. To serve without pay; Follow
constitution and organic act in re-elec-
tion, etc. Every eX-mayor member
of council without vote; also, each
commissioner Monthly meetings un-
less on special call by mayor or five
members President of board Of alder
men to be mayor in his absence, gen
eral provision, etc. Follow constitu-
tion, ETC..
Chapter III Executive Department
Mayor two years, with salary. Pow
er to appoint at will and remove with
consent of council the following: Cor
poration counsel, commissioners of
finance, police, health, public works,
parks, water taxes and assessments,
fire education, charities and correction,
and elections.
Chapter ". Duties of officials.
Chapter V. Assessments and Taxes
Follow our system as far as advisa-
BILE, but include among objects of taxa
ton, gross earnings of all corpora
tions."
Chapter VI. judicial Department
City court with two judges. District
, courts as now.
Chapter VII. General provisions as
to election and amendments by refer
endum.
The third outline was prepared by
John G. Pratt, also of the charter draft
committee, and who has had expe-
rience before in drawing and amend
ing city charters. His points were:
! l. Island of oahu the boundaries of
the city of Honolulu, except the United
States property, and that actually used
by the Territory.
Z 9. Create a municipal government
following as far as practicable present
form of established government, hav-
ing in lieu of Governor as chief eXecu-
tive officer, mayor, to be chosen by
the people, who, together with the per-
sons chosen from the present precincts
of the Island as councilmen to consti-
tute the executive and Legislative body.
and called city council: the mayor
president of council; the council to
have power to make all laws not in
conflict with the organic act or Con-
stitution of the United States. Bureaus
or departments to be similar to those
now existing, heads of departments ap-
pointed by mayor, and they in turn to
appoint their subordinates.
! An election for mayor and council to
be held as soon as possible after pas
sage of this act, and all persons who
can vote at Territorial elections to vote
at city elections. The present laws,
regulations and rules now controlling
Territorial officers to be adopted as
far as practicable for the city; sub
council after 1t is organized.
| Mayor ana councilmen to be elected
| for two years. Limitation on amount
| that couId be levied for taxation pur-
| poses for any one year to a reasonable
amount. All taxes of Oahu to be paid
| to city treasurer at the county seat
which would be in Honolulu, District
of Kona.
w. O. Smith then spoke of the sub
iprf n his writtnr1
said that 1t was going to be a big
job to get up a charter and have 1t
conform to existing Territorial and
United states laws, and it was abso-
lutely necessary to hire someone to do
the detail work, and refer it back to
the committee for approval or change
before the draft would be ready to
submit to the general committee. even
in sections. He said it had required a
great deal of work and study to map
out these brief outlines, and as the
drawing of the charter progressed
there would be plenty of food for
thought and discussion, without both
ering with the detail work
4. McCants Stewart supplemented
the statements of Mr. Smith by say
ing: 1--WE want to simplify the charter
as much as possible, and also to keep
1t as near as possible in conformity
with the present system of govern
ment. l take it the protest Of the COM
munity is not so much against the
government itself, as 1t Is that the
government that now exists is not suf-
fciently representative, and the officers
are not sufficiently responsible for their
official acts to the people"
Speaking of the ease with which
present laws could be slightly modified
and made to apply to n city govern
ment especially II the whole Island
were taken into consideration, he said
the present high sheriff would be sue
ceeded by chief OF police with prac-
tically the same duties and his depu-
ty sheriffs in the various districts of
the Island would be succeeded by cap
tains of police for each district or pre-
cinct or wards in the city proper The
present taxation scheme-the collection
and the assessment of them at least
We're in accord with American ideas,
FOR the present tax appeal board for