Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-01-28

Gentlemen Some time since. at tina
request of your Committee. we agreed
to act ms Commission to prepare a
hill providing for county government
In the Territory. for presentation IL
and consideration by. the next legisla
= ture.
We beg leave to hand you herewith
the bill prepared by us In compliance
with your direction. In presenting YOU
the draft prepared II will perhaps no,
he amiss to state in n general way the
plan Of county government intended ia
be established by H.
We first wish to say that, in the prep
aration of the bill, 1t has been our aim
to adapt the present laws of the Terri
tory to the new system, in order that
so far as possible, the officers first
elected and the people generally shall
have for their guide provisions Of law
with which all are more or less ia
niliar, and many Of which have been
construed by the courts. In all in
stances, however, where complete
system Of county government necessi-
tated changes, no matter how radical,
such changes have been made.
DIVISION INTO COUNTIES.
BY the bill prepared the Territory ~
divided into five Counties as follows:
The County of Oahu, being the Island
OF Oahu, with the county seat at Ho.
nolulu.
The County of Maui being the
Islands of Maui. Lanai, Molokai and
Kahoolawe, with the county seat At
Waikiki.
The County of West Hawaii. being
the part OF the Island of Hawaii com
prised within the districts OF Kau,
North Kohala. South Kohala, North
Roma and South Kona, and all other
Islands within . limit Of three nautical
miles of the shores thereof; with tho
county seat at Kailua.
The County of East Hawaii, being
that part of the island Of Hawaii con-
prised within the district of Hilo. Puma
ond Hamakua. and all other islands
within limit Of three nautical miles
OF the shores thereof. with the County
seat at Hilo.
The County Of Kauai. being the ISL
ends of Kauai and Niihau, with the
county seat at Lihue.
Provision is made for changing coun-
ty seats.
This division conforms exactly TO the
division of the Territory by the Or.
Ganic Act into judicial circuits.
These counties are divided into dis.
lricts for road purposes and jurisdic-
ton OF magistrates. the districts and
their boundaries being the same as a
present.
OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES.
The bill provides for the following
county officers:
A Board of Supervisors, consisting
OF five members, county clerk, sheriff
treasurer. tax collector. who Is also
License collector, recorded, auditor, as
SCISSOR surveyor. district attorney, cor
oner, members of the road board, roaC
supervisor and district magistrates
All. save members Of the road board
the road supervisor and district mag
istrates. are to be elected: the bill pro
viding for the appointment of mem
bers of the road board by the Boar,
of Supervisors, OF the road supervise
by the road board, and OF the magis
trates by the governor.
All officers first elected OF appointe'
continue In Office until January sec
ond. 1905. being succeeded by officer
elected at the general election in No
vember, 1904. or by appointments mad,
in January. 1905. as the case may be
After that period all officers hold fol
OF Supervisors. As TO this board. Il Il
provided that the term of a part only
expires each two years, thus insurinl
board which always has some mem.
hers with experience.
The Board OF Supervisors is vested
with general supervisory powers over
Pill the affairs Of the county. The ex-
Crclse Of their powers, particularly
with relation to the issuance of bonds
expenditures of moneys, allowance o.
claims, and creation OF debts, Is care
fully limited. the limitations being o.
such nature that any taxpayer has d
ready remedy for their abuse. The
county clerk Is clerk of this board, ans
Keeps all its records; he also performs
certain specified duties relative :,
taxes The sheriff performs practically
the same duties and has the same pow
ers in his county as the high sheriff
now has He has the power to appoin
police, whose duties are as now pro
s vided. The treasurer is custodian o
the funds OF the county, and can pa!
them out only on warrants issued b!
the county auditor by order OF tn
board. The tax collector collects al
taxes shown to be due the county. ant
also all licenses. The recorder per
forms all duties within his county nov
performed by the register OF convey
ances. The auditor audits the accounts
of all officers, draws all warrants, AM
advises the board from time to tim,
as to the financial condition OF. tn
county. The surveyor performs al
duties usually performed by such of