The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-12-01
FEDERAL GRAND JURY
MAKES FINAL REPORT

This Grand jury is aware, Honorable /
Sir, that it has no power to find in |
dictments for violations of Territorial
Laws and it therefore most respect |
fully requests this Honorable Court to |
permit such information concerning |
these vouchers as is in the possession |
of this Honorable Court, together with |
list of the vouchers such as is made |
part of this report, to be transmitted |
to the Attorney General of this Ter
ritory, with the request that the Ter
ritorial Grand Jury Investigate this
matter.
This Grand Jury is of the unanimous
opinion that, as an example of an un-
businesslike and negligent manner of
authorizing the expenditure of $50 1000. 90
of the public funds, the methods fol-
lowed during the last session of the
Territorial Legislature stand unique;
as an example of the possibilities and
opportunities for systematic grating
they are monumental. From the testi-
mony of witnesses before it, the Grand
Jury learned that the following method
was supposed to be pursued to secure
! payment for services rendered or ma
terial furnished: The person perform
ing service would present bill for
such services to the chairman of the
committee for which services were
performed, approved by the chairman
of the committee the bill. was then APP
proved by the chairman of the COM
mittee on accounts, and presented to-
| the Clerk of the House, who would
| thereupon draw a warrant for the
a IN hi no
proved bill or voucher was then sup
posed to be filed in stub book pro-
| vided for that purpose. In no instance
| did this Grand Jury learn either that
any other than the chairman of COM
nlittee examined a bill, or that. any
record of bills approved was kept, nor
was there any evidence before it to
show that the vouchers and accounts
We're ever. audited. Had there been
| such auditing, this Grand Jury is of
| the opinion that it would not have
| found, as was the case, many vouchers
without mark of approval by chair
| man of committees or receipt by the
! person to whose favor warrants We're
drawn by the Clerk of the House.
Honorable Sir, this Grand Jury was
; astonished at the spectacle presented
| by a body of men, selected by the cleo
| tors of this Territory to perform
neither administrative nor executive
but legislative functions, GRANTING
THE RIGHT TO AN INDIVIDUAL
+ NOT A MEMBER OF THAT BODY
TO AUTHORIZE THE PAYMENT
, OUT OF THE PUBLIC TREASURY
OF 100000 AND IN NO WAY PRO
| VIDING FOR THE PROPER RE-
! CORDING OF FINANCIAL TRANS
| ACTIONS OR OF AUDITING THE
ACCOUNTS THEREOF, or of finally
| depoSiting such accounts with public
officer. And this Grand Jury is of the
unanimous opinion that the honor of
! the Territory and it's representatives,
and the economic management of it's
| finances, demands the enactment of
such a law or laws as shall properly
regulate and control the expenditures
by future legislatures
According to the testimony of the
vouchers. this Grand Jury finds that
during the session of the Legislature
warrants were issued to j. H. Wise
amounting to $1472.75 for which there
are vouchers. Up to and including
March 30th, Mr. Wise had drawn
day. During the month of April Mr..
Wise drew $7S7. On the 4th of April
Mr. Wise drew in four vouchers s12O.5O.
On the 18th of April, six vouchers were
issued to Mr.. Remembering BOG, 312,
313, 314, 315 and S16, for the following
services: CLERK Agricultural Com
mittee, $30.00;" CLERK House Bill No.
116, $780," CLERK Chinese Fund, $780,
Services Education Committee,
$4,000" Services Police Committee,
$4,000 CLERK Public Expenditure
Committee, $4,000" a total of $120.5O
On the 18th Mr.. Wise drew $119.5O, al
though on the 18th he had drawn $163.5C
for "translating."
From the vouchers and witnesses
examined, this Grand Jury finds that
Enoch Johnson was employed from
time to time and that during the ses-
sion warrants. for which there ars
vouchers, were issued to him amounting
to $125S.25. According to voucher 1882
Mr.. Johnson received from "Pauoa
Water" $4,000 and from "Pahoa Wa.
. ter" $4,000. total of $4,000. And ye
from the testimony in the matter, thi:
Grand Jury is of the opinion that the
. extent of Mr.. Johnson's services tt
= each committee was a visit to the
springs, possible total attendance o.
ten hours upon the committee, and tn,
drawing up of a short report. On Apri
25th, two vouchers were issued to Mr.
: Johnson, No. 473, entitled Chimes,
Fund.- for s11550, No. 500, subdividet
d as follows:
e Drawing report Chinese Fund. S 800
s Typewriting report 30 folios, 25cts 225
e Services Clerk Chinese Fund.-. 1900
Legal opinion .-.................. 800
e s312.5
= From considerable testimony heart
hoo or, Tho ,ro,,nt,nr A..