The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-12-25

per annum, and that OF the commits
sioners is $2400. While these salaries
are extremely modest, it is believed
that they will attract the services of
mep thoroughly competent, who are
willing to serve their city on condi-
ton that they can accomplish results.
What business concern would be will
ing to employ cheap ward politicians
to run its businessf Offices not abso-
lutely necessary have been eliminated.
The office of city secretary was com
bined with that of controller, thus saw.
ing the salary of one official. A local
banker was appointed city treasurer
with nominal salary; thus practically
saving another salary, while receiving
four per cent. interest on the city's
deposits,
The mayor and commissioners are
in continuous session from day to day,
each devoting his entire time to the
eity's welfare. They are easily Access
sible during all business hours, and by
one citizen as easily as another. Only
the fellow with ga job' or who at
tempts to use personal influence finds
it difficult to get an audience; neither,
however, is much in evidence, for no
lesson has been better taught than
that "pull doesn't CO." The plain
citizen finds no more difficulty in sub
uniting a business proposition and get
ting prompt action thereon than he
would experience in dealing with the
best managed private corporation.
Public council meetings are held at
formerly, each Monday at p. m, but
they are little more than a public rat.
ifcation of those matters previously
agreed upon by the council in execu-
tive session. They are entirely devoid
of those peculiar features that once at
tracted lovers of the spectacular to the
City Hall on Monday afternoon. The
interminable and unseemly oldtime
council meeting has been relocated to
the shades of things that ought never
to have been.
A complete statement of what has
been accomplished by the chairman of
each of the four committees, acting
directly through well.organized depart
ments, and due directly to the applca-
ton of business principles to the dis
charge of the duties of his department,
is not possible within present limita-
tions. But, as illustrating how the AK
was laid at the root of the tree, a
political mare IS nest of back.taxes to
the extent of many thousands of dol
lars has been cleaned out and the man
that shirks his duty has been called
to book, and taught the wholesome les.
son that taxes are to be collected, not
alone from those willing to bear their
part of the burden, but from the
: "shirk" as well. There has beer
adopted n system of block books fol
L the tax department which enables the
board of appraisers to locate the owner
of every tract of land in the city, and
to properly assess same SO that the
taxes can be levied properly and col
lected by suit, if necessary. The aver
age assessment is certainly less than
. fifty per cent. of the normal value;
necessarily, assessments have beer
raised in many cases. However, this
has been done uniformly and with q
: spirit of fairness that has provoked
general public APPROVAL; some of the
a largest taxpayers of the city having
: expressed themselves as unconcerned
e about the amount of their assessment
Q so long as they are assured that the
: city's funds are being wisely ex
pended.
Not only are business methods ap
piled to the sources of revenue. but in
the expenditure of funds as well. This
could not be better illustrated than by
1 the general statement that after eight
months of commission government the
city had wiped out floating indebted
ness of nearly 100000, while paying
her current expenses from month tC
month The progressive citizen is de
lighted with the prospect that after
paying all current expenses, sum ia
8 the neighborhood of one.half million
e dollars can be expended annually fol
! needed public improvements. Thus the
h necessity for future bond issues will
@ be eliminated, and large sums of none,
(; that would be shipped annually to for
4 eign bondholders, in payment of in
! terest, may be expended in public i'm
d provements that benefit the citizens a
!, home.
: The transition, in two years, from
l. government threatened with receiver
d ship, to one on cash basis with ;
s half million to spend annually in pub
4 lie improvements is certainly recort
g worthy of consideration.
., No single act of Houston s commits