The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-02-20
THE 'CIVICS
YEARS work
MUCH WORK ALREADY DONE AND
PLANS FOR ENLARGED PUBLIC
ACTIVITY IN COMING YEAR.

The annual meeting of the Civic
Federation was held yesterday after
noon in the Y. NJ. c. A. Hall on Ho-
tel street. the meeting being attended
by a large number Of members. The
work of the past year was discussed
at length, and the plans for the COM
ing year were also gone over very
thoroughly.
President Grifiths was in the chair
and after the minutes of the last meet
ing were read, presented his report for
the year 07-OS, containing the follow
ing:
II take pleasure in submitting to
you the report of the President of the
Civic Federation for the year 1907
1908, the fourth year of the Fedora
TONS life.
AS the reports of the chairmen OF
the subcommittee give a survey of
the years work of the Federation, no
detailed summary on my part is neces-
sary. 1t is enough to point out the
variety of the enterprises in which the
Executive Committee has had a hand
and to call attention to the fact that
the organization is doing it's utmost to
promote the right things in a sane
way. 1t has tried to take a practical
view of our problems and, while hold
ing a high ideal has not let the fail
ure to attain this ideal stand in the
way of accepting and profiting by the
best obtainable results. 1t realizes
that it has not adequately covered the
field. It's excuse is in it's limited re-
sources in men and money. It's policy
has been rather to take up the press
study and energy as the limited time,
snatched from business and scanty
leisure, would allow. 1t rejoices that
there are other men and other organi-
cations doing work in the same field
along the same or parallel lines. 1t
has given us pleasure to give and re-
ceive cooperation in the work in
which all should join. We are simply
doing in an organized way what every
good citizen does as an individual. We
believe that organization gives addi-
tionaI weight and momentum to the
cause and we urge that there be a uni
on in effort, if not in name, of those
who are seeking to make Honolulu a
better place to live in. While the work
of the Federation this year has been
done in a quiet way, it has been none
the less effective. A good many wrongs
have been attacked ana a good many
right things set IN motion. The pulse
of the people, which We have had oc-
casion to feel at times during the
year, has indicated a general support
of our policies and a belief in the
things for which we are fighting.
The membership of the Federation
is now about two hundred and fifty,
more than one hundred more than last
year. This membership has meant So
lid support to the work of the EXecu-
tive Committee. l have no hesitancy
in saying that with little effort and no
solicitation the actual membership
could be doubled or trebled from
among those who are naturally active
for good government. The Fedora
tons treasury would feel the benefit
of their dollars, but there is great sat-
isfaction in knowing that the finest
kind of support is coming from men
in the town who are actually not men,
bers of the organization.
"The relation of the Executive Com
mittee to the Federation at large has
been made little closer. Some will
doubt if it is close enough. But the
essential difficulty of doing in a public
meeting many of the things that have
to be done, most of which demand
quiet and prompt action, is plain to
| all. The policy should rather be to
| choose men in whom you have conf
dence to execute a broad policy for
civic betterment which you should
here discuss and approve.
"The coming year, as it is an cleo
ton year, is important With a care
/ fully determined policy carried out by
earnest, active men, the Federation
ought to be able to assist Hawaii's
citizenship in selecting the best mer
for office. The position of the Fedora
ton as a nOn-partisan organization
! interested in good government and
bound to get it by a scrutiny Of candi-
dates and policies, irrespective Of par
/ ty, has been well established It is
certain that the Federation will con-
tinue to do it's civic duty"
The report of the subcommittee on
Education, Charities and Public
Health, on which are President Horne
| of Kamehameha school, J. A. Rath and
w. r. Castle, was a very lengthy one,
covering a number Of subjects, which
we're gone into very thoroughly.
One of the chief matters which this
committee has decided to do is to try
and regulate the noise which Is made
on the nights of public holidays, such
as Christmas, New Years, Chinese New
Years and the Fourth of July. The