Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-06-15
Municipal Government Discussed
w. Q. SMITH
Before Honolulu Research Club

consists in the conduct of municipal
affairs without due regard to the duty
that the city as a loca. organ of gov
eminent owes to the State at large.
"5. A Attn cause Of waste is linden.
niteness of organization. on account
OF which the incidence of responsibili.
ty is obscure and the people are un
able TO hold themselves and their Off
Gals to strict account for the right
conduct OF public affairs
Upon the subject of the moral evil
and official corruption, the committee
assigns three chief causes:
81. The first cause is greed, not
the greed Of politicians particularly,
but the greed Of the people generally
in a community where the struggle
for life is intense, and wealth takes
the place of culture in popular ideas.
"2. A second cause of corruption Is
the lack Of civic integrity; that is 20
say a deficiency in civic ideals and an
absence of civic unity. due in large
measure to the newness and compos.
iteness of most American cities.
20. A third cause Of corruption Is
the private control OF public privi.
leges. by which special powers are in.
trusted to individuals and corpora.
lions without due responsibility for
their proper use"
And the committee proceeds to
state:
The committee recognizes that
many Of these causes are such as can
be removed only through long contin.
ued processes Of education and devel.
opment.
There are. however,. many of them
inherent in our present system #
laws. and 1t is the removal OF such
through a better organization of city
. government in all its relations that
the committees attention has been
specifically directed"
The Municipal Program Committee
, presented their report in volume en-
titled "A Municipal Program, stating:
THE volume herewith presented
under the title Municipal Program
represents the result of two years of
, unremitting and painstaking endeavor
to present in accordance with the
original resolution A working system
consistent with American industrial
: and political conditions. and embody.
ing the essential principles that must
underlie successful government in
this country The proposed constitu.
tional amendments and the proposed
Municipal Corporations Act constitute
, the Municipal Program which was
, unanimously adopted at the Column.
bus Conference. These two docu
:, ments together with the leading pa.
=. lpers presented at the indianapolis
. and Columbus meetings and Sum
:, mary of the Program prepared By
!. Professor l.. S. Rowe, constituted the
:. report OF the committee"
y The limits OF this address will not
permit of more detailed statement
n of the plan suggested by the commit.
q tee. but their plan Is deserving of most
careful attention and study.
The proposition to provide municl.
pal government for Honolulu. and
other portions OF these Islands, should
=. be approached dispassionately. and
, be considered solsly upon its merits
= While there are objections to the pres
cnt centralized form of government
no right.minded citizen would adyo
;. cate a radical change unless satisfied
!, that the best interests of the commu
4 nifty would be promoted thereby.
=, II the time Is now ripe for a steI
so serious, and under existing condi
lions so fraught with danger. IL should
, only be taken after the most careful
- consideration by the thoughtful an(
&. responsible elements of the communi
, ty. and upon wisely devised plan
I. Such plan can only be developed by
- deliberate and thorough study OF tn,
situation by qualified persons.
Ill.advised and nasty action and
defective scheme will not only result
I. IN great cost and disquietude, but ma,
be most difficult to control or remed,
when once the machinery is set in mo
p. ton.
,r Views and methods differing iron
II those to which residents of the oil
10 settled communities of the States ar
=. accustomed, are sometimes terme