The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-13

The attacks upon the conduct of the
Bureau are for the most part of anony-
nous origin and some of them of such
sensational nature as to demand the
service of a detective rather than Of
an accountant.
The following letter Of Mr.. Trent,
County Treasurer, merits attention both
on account of its definite presentation
of facts and it's courteous tenor. As
the author abstains from comment and
avoids innuendoes and insinuations an
explanation of the apparent inconsist-
encies of the conditions alluded to by
him seems to be invited and will
be promptly accorded. I quote his let
ter in full:
Honolulu, August 5, 1905.
The Board of Supervisors, County of
Oahu:
Gehtlemen:-I deem it my duty, with
out comment. to report to you as fol-
lows:
In paying off the garbage men yes
terday, my clerk was told in more than
one instance that the amount called for
by the warrant was more than the
payee had earned; feeling, rightly, that
he had no discretion in the premises,
he paid the full amounts as called for.
My attention being called to the mat
ter, / directed that the next man pre-
senting warrant be questioned as to
the number of days he had worked, the
rate of pay for which he was work.
ing, etc.
Accordingly, when A. Pimento pre-
sented Warrant No. 256 for 20 days
work at $500 per month, the questions
as above suggested were asked him.
The records on the face of the war
rants agreed exactly with Mr.. Pimentos
answers, except as to the number of
days worked. While the warrant call
ed for twenty days, Mr.. Pimento mod
estly claimed to have worked only fif-
teen days. The full amount of the war
rant was paid him without further
question. I gave instructions that no
more of the men be questioned, but
that warrants be paid as presented, at
full face value. and that any objections
about overtime or overpay be disro-
garded.
From Mr.. Samuel Johnson, superin-
tcndent of the garbage department,
learned that the very excellent system
are necessary to do the work is in
vogue in this department. The plan IS
for one-half the men to work one week,
then lay off a week while the other
half work, and so on through the
month. In this way forty-o men can
make a half-month's pay each month,
instead of only twenty-odd making a
full month.
In looking over the warrants this
morning I noted the following facts,
which will probably prove interesting
to you:
Two men had warrants showing a
total of IL days work at the Kalia
dump-an average of 90 1-2 days to the
half-month.
Four men had warrants showing a
total of 73 days work at the Iwilei
dump-an average of IS IA days to the
half-month.
Eight men had warrants showing 144
days work as excavator tenders-an
average of IS days to the half month.
Eighteen man had warrants, occupa-
ton given as garbage wagon show
ing total of 364 days work-an aver
age of % AIS days to the half-month.
Other warrants for clerks, stablemen,
etc. working full months. made up the
total of the number of warrants drawn.
Very respectfully,
RICHARD n. TRENT,
County Treasurer.
TOO MANY SUNDAYS
The time credited to Pimento as well
as to others on the July payroll con-
sists of the actual days worked plus
included Sundays and the holiday of
the Fourth, THAT MORE SUNDAYS
ARE ALLOWED on TIE PAYROLL
THAN APE JUSTIFIED BY THE
DAYS WORKED Is INDEED TNFOR-
TT-%ATE. THE TIMEKEEPER IN
FORMS NE THAT HE Is RESPONSE
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