Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-02-16
Woman Gives Her Views On Municipal Governments

.luiHld is III COMPARISON new ana re
cent. But what has Hawaii to show
for these years in cities and civilized
institutions. to compare with tn,
brilliant cities of the Pacific Coast
The Islands have not stood still agri
Culturally. There have been develop
ed here the finest sugar plantations In
the world. and the sugar barons oil
Honolulu" have n worldwide fame
But the modern city with its commo
dious wharves, broad streets, beauti
full parks and open areas and sys,
tematic cleansing which should inev.
itably be-is not.
Honolulu is a rich city, but history
does not show that this money inev.
itably found its way into institutions
for the public good, nor without sys.
tematic organized efforts for the
beautiful upbuilding of Honolulu. will
II ever do so.
Handling the Revenue.
The objection that the revenue pro.
duccd by increased taxation will be
consumed in extra salaries is clearly
not well taken. II remains to be
shown that the taxes will be in
creased.
Section is. City Charter of St.
Louis: THE cost of construction of
all the foregoing improvements within
the city shall be apportioned as fol.
lows: The grading OF new streets, al.
leys. making of cross-walks. and the
repairs of all streets and highways
and cleaning of the same. and of all
alleys and cross walks, shall be paid
out OF the general revenue of the CITY.
and the paving. curbing, guttering.
sidewalks, and the materials for road.
ways. the repairs OF all alleys and side
walks shall be charged upon the ad.
joining property as n special tax, and
collected and paid as hereinafter pro.
vided."
Sec. %, Charter of St Louis: AS
soon as a district sewer with its in.
lets. manholes and other appurte.
nances is fully completed the Board
OF Public improvements shall cause to
be computed the whole COST thereof
and shall assess II as n special tax
against all the lots of ground in this
district respectively without regard
to improvements. and in proportion as
their respective areas bear to the area
OF the whole district exclusive of the
public highway"
One could enumerate Indefinitely
However, II is clear that in st. Louis,
and this city is no exception, the char.
ter provisions make II impossible to
absorb specific taxation in salaries.
The contention that there are no
brainy men in Honolulu for the heads
OF great departments, and that because
OF the want of material for such
board or departments Honolulu must
be and remain town of the sixteenth
century type, is perhaps not intended
to be taken seriously. However, II
would certainly seem difficult to evolve
men trained in any specific direction,
from conditions furnishing no demand
for them.
Getting Municipal Leaders.
Initiative, honesty, executive ability
furnish capital material for the train.
ing which investigation and experience
give. French engineers laid out the
new Athens. the new Bucharest. the
new Sofia, the new Belgrade; experts
from abroad passed upon the new sew.
er for Honolulu. Experts from the
great centers Of civilization are called
to the Middle West and frontier to
take positions OF responsibility. II
may not be easy to get a man. who
has been a close student of municipal
affairs since his college days, like
Seth Low, but, all things being equal,
Honolulu of all places in the world
needs precisely this kind of metal; 1t
is the modern methods which, under
American supervision. have given Ha-
vana for the first time in its history
exemption from yellow fever; that will
make Honolulu n clean port, and keep
II so. II we must import our initiative
for the heads of great departments
like public works, education and
health, by all means let us give
thanks that such men are to be had,
instead of resignedly degenerating.
What the Charter Remedies.
The fifth objection that increased
taxation attending municipal organi.
cation will bear principally upon the
minority who, by energy, enterprise
and thrift. have amassed property,
and that these being the minority, the
majority will in effect be voting away
their substance, bears certain re.
semblance to DIRECTORS to taxation
without representation. The remedy
is to be found in the charter. The
Council makes appropriations, deter.
mines on improvements, passes on the
expedlency of recommendation of the
various heads of departments. Some