The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-08
FIXING RESPONSIBILITY.

TIAbESU
when the amendments to the organ
ic act are In order one should be framed
giving the Governor, who is held re-
svonsible for the administration of the
Territory, the sole power of appoint
meat and removal; or, in default ot
that, all heads of departments should
be made elective and responsible &c
bondsmen for the proper performance
of their duties. In the latter case the
grand Jury and the courts would ae'
fnalIy in the matter of removal for
cause.
Either recourse would be an improve
meat OF the situation as it stands. II
is intolerable to think that men VINO
have confessed the use of public money
for private purposes and who have re-
eeiyed Territorial funds in their ofnclai
capacity. other than their salaries,~tn
only record of which appears in their
prfvate bank accounts-it is intoleraoie,
we say, that such men, having been re-
moved OF suspended, should be given
a legal chance t o force themselves back
into once. Such a thing ought not to
be possible. That it is possible, except
for the saving agency of a grand jury.
is a defect of the organic law which
ought, as soon as Congress q act,
to be. renedied.
Observe Governor Dole's position;
The appointments of certain depart
ment chiefs were made under duress,
in part exercised by the Home Rule,
anti-Republican Senate, which gave
the Governor to understand that 1t
would provide no funds for carrying
on the government unless it could have
these men in office. The Governors
own selections were turned down AS
there was nothing against h fiscal
~ntegrity of the new aspirants at the
time, they were appointed. At once
they set themselves up as Independent
powers; at least two of them did, serv-
ing notice that they wanted no advice
from the executive. They did as they
pleased; they put Home Rulers and
loafers into clerkships and even went
so far as to pour public money into the
tiils of every worthless little anti-Dole
and anti-Republican paper that might
start up. or already be in existence
money for advertising which did not
advertise and for job work which went
without competitive bids. Then when
the Governor finds them using public
funds as a part of their private re-
sources and suspends one of them
another running away-he is told that
he has no right under the law to detach
a delinquent public ervan from his
opportunities for plumber. When he
suspends an auditor who is also ac-
cused or betraying the public conf
dence. that official brings suit for the
recovery of his office. If he gets it back
where do the interests of the taxpayers
come in?
We are aware that the proposal to
give the Governor the sole power of
appointment and remoyal will be de-
scribed as a step towards despotism;
but that is precisely what the more ad-
vanced municipal charters enact for
the mayors of cities. When Brooklyn
got its new charter and Seth,Low went
in as mayor he appointed all heads of
departments and then took the I'M
Hated designations of each man in writ
ing. That gave Brooklyn the best gov
eminent it ever had; and if the system
mad been instituted here the present
troubles would. in the main, nave been
avoided.
The elective system is the next best
recourse. One or the other should be
adopted.