The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-11-12
WORK
IN CHICAGO

| Among the guests at the Mdana
Hotel are Mr.. and Mrs. William Kent
who will remain here till the arrival
of the Korea, which will take them to
the Coast. Mr.. Kent is one Of the
foremost reform leaders in the city OF
Chicago, and has for the past ten
years or more. been busily engaged in
the work of bringing about purifica-
ton of politics in the great center
When asked for a little story about the
movement there yesterday, he said:
THE greatest work which we have
attempted has been in the line of a
new charter, but our work has been
spoiled to great extent by the stupid
| ity of the state legislature. They took
the bill which we had prepared and
changed 1t so that the better features
including direct primary were left
out and as the result, when 1t was
submitted to the people, they refused
to ratify it.. I understand now, how
ever, that there is some chance that
we may win out after all.
1.-The greatest victory that we have
achieved has been the municipal regu-
lation and control of the street rail-
roads, which had been left in such a
horrible condition by the manipulations
of Yerkes. There were two concerns
there, one of which was capitalized
fairly. the City Railroad Company, at
SIS. 0000 900, and the other at about,
500, 900, 900. the greater part of which
was water. This last was the Union
Traction Company. The valuation of
the first named company was placed
at s21,00O,000, and of the second at
500, 900, 000. a total of s50.000.0O0. Ac-
cording to the twenty year franchise,
these companies are allowed to earn
five per cent. on this valuation plus
such a sum as shall be raised for i'm
provements. Large sums must be spent
on rehabilitation and of the net profit
SO per cent. goes to the city and 45
per cent. to the company.
1T is impossible to pad the sums
expended as the roads are under
charge of commission, consisting of
one engineer appointed by the city and
one by the company, and a third
selected by these two. The city has
may prescribe the system of book
keeping, that shall be used, to prevent
the covering up of moneys which
might be used for illicit purposes. The
best possible service with all modern
improvements must be given, with
through routes all over the city for a
five cent fare.
''The city has the right of purchase
at any time. after six months notice
has hQpn cyiUar or = I,1 <le
over to a corporation which will pay
only five per cent. dividend on the
money actually invested, that is, the
fifty millions allowed plus the amount
additional which has been actually in
vested, according to what is known
as the Tom Johnson plan. 1t may also
turn the lines over to another corpor-
alton wishing TO buy, in case that
matters are not conducted suitably,
this corporation to pay twenty per
cent. more than if the purchase were
made by the city.
This franchise was passed last jan
uary and ratified by the people at a
referendum by majority of $4,000 in
what was a very close election be-
tween the leading candidates on the
opposing tickets. Hearst and the
other radicals fought us bitterly,
though I never heard a single good
reason given against the franchise, but
We had The people behind US and car
ried the day.
The next matter which we will
strike at of this kind will be the tele-
phone companies. In this case, as in
that of the railroads, the rates to be
charged will be based upon the earn
ings of the actual sum invested. Not
on the amount of capital stock or
bonds. that have been issued, but on
what has actually been put into the
plants.
1.-The biggest thing that we have
done has been the education of 100000
voters. The work has been going on
for fifteen years and there has never
been a really backward step. There
have been times when it was hard
work, but we have kept on gaining all
beginning to take a far. more intelli-
gent interest in politics than they have
before. At times, when they would be |
to be conservative, they are
bitterly radical, but almost always in |
| good cause. At other times, and |
again for the best, they are conserva-J
i've to the utmost.
You ask what would happen on this /
railroad commission, should we get a
couple of dishonest engineers on the
Well, that's the old argu-
nent, and it is best answered in the
Id way, If you can't trust anybody.
what's the use anyway
1.-The cause of good government is
letting along fast in America. We
ave just as many honest men here as
hey have anywhere else. The differ
nee comes that in other countries they
lace the emphasis on this one thing.
nunicipal government, while in the
United States we do not. Everything
4 this line is making strides forward.
nd the effect will be lasting one. 1t
) not spasmodic.
II have had but little time here to
ee your political conditions, but am
realty interested in what I have
cen. 1t seems to me that the Jana
csc, the man who works in the fields.
! bound eventually to own the land. |
GU have a great question to solve. I I
office a great difference here in the ,
ehavior of the Japanese from that +.
the same nationality on the Coast.