The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-08-08
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ence would have been the other way.
1t was case of the calendar favor
ing the iaborer. Mr.. Whites letter,
in its full text, follows:
Department of Public Works.
Office of superintendent
Honolulu, 7. H., August Z, 1905.
Editor of the Advertiser, Honolulu,
T. II.
Sir: In the absence of Mr.. Samuel
johnson on the Coast, and as 1 have,
by direction of the Supervisors, as
sumed charge of his Office, during his
absence, desire to submit an expla-
nation of the garbage payrolls, which
are at present the subject of consider
able newspaper controversy.
1t is true Mr.. johnson has left, but
he is not, as stated in the Advertiser,
the only person who is capable of ex-
planning the apparent discrepancies in
the payrolls.
First: l desire to deny, on behalf of
Mr.. Johnson, that any payroll In the
Garbage Department or any other bu-
reau under his control, has been signed
in blank If it is meant by this that the
time worked and the amount earned
by each man has not been distinctly
stated before such signature was made.
For the most part, the laborers have
signed on receiving their money, but
in a very few instances the payrolls
have been made out and signed before
being sent up to the Auditor. If there
has been any "unearned difference 1T
has been paid to the working man.
The payroll presented to the county
is on the same lines as those hereto
fore passed up to, and approved by, the
Auditor. The ''unearned difference"
comes from the system of computing
time. 1t has been the custom of the
Department of Public Works where
men are hired by the month, unless
otherwise specified, to consider the
month by the number of Its calendar
days Hence n man who put in the
full number of working days in the
month Of say, 81 days, received pay
for Sundays and all. If the full month
We're worked it would make no differ
ence how many Sundays were in the
month.
The garbage men have received a
salary of s45 per month of 81 days, or
80 days, according to the number of
days in the calendar month, and for
every day, Sundays and all. the laborer
received 1-31st of the month. Whether
this is a proper system in dealing with
| labor | will not undertake to say, but
| 1t is the system that has been in vogue
| in the Department of Public Works for
years and as / said before, this county
payroll is on the same lines as those
which have always been discharged by
| the Auditors warrants.
Herewith / submit a statement show
ing the payroll submitted to the county
computed by a system of 81 days to
/ the month and also a system OF rs
working days to the month. This shows
a difference of practically 500 in favor
of the latter method. 1t is for the
| Supervisors to determine which plan
they wish TO lowed. but there is no oc-
CASTOR for any suspicion of graft by the
head of the Garbage Department or any
of his clerks. When the men have
been paid off, the payrolls have been
signed by the men, for the most part,
in the presence of one of the clerks,
who has called off the amount to Mr..
Johnson, he himself paying over the
money.
The surprise expressed by certain
men in this matter is totally unwar-
ranted, as the system of computation
and payment is the same as has al.
ways prevailed.
Respectfully,
c. NJ. WHITE,
Chief Clerk, Dept. Public Works