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

been painfully apparent in Houston.
There had been mutterings Of complaint
from time to time, and even talk Of a
receivership. However, she set about
deliberately the installation of a new
system. No great catastrophe moved
her. The commission idea was submitted
to popular vote on the tenth day of
December, 1904. There was much in
difference; the vote was small, but the
proposition carried by good majority.
The experiment seemed worthy of a
trial; at least, there was the assurance
that the new plan could hardly be worse
than the old-it might be better.
The charter of 1903 was revamped by
a joint committee from the council and
representative citizens to suit the needs
of the new plan, and the document thus
prepared became the present city char
ter, being granted by the legislature on
the eighteenth day of March, 1905.
However, the charter itself gives a very
inadequate idea of the actual operation
of the commission form of government.
Fortunately for Houston, her first
election under the new charter, June
81, 1905, resulted in the choice of
strong representative business men,
most Of whom were not unfamiliar
with municipal problems. Honorable
II. B. Rice, the new mayor, had served
in the same capacity from 1896 to 1898
without being able to accomplish the
! results he then desired. OF the new
commissioners, Honorable j. Y. CASTOR,
chairman of the Committee on Finance
and Revenue, and Honorable James A.
Thompson, chairman of the Water,
Light and Health Committee, were
both members of the City Council dur
ing the last administration under the
old regime; while Honorable James i.
Marmion, chairman of the Street and
Bridge Committee, had served as city
recorder; Honorable James Appleby,
chairman of the Police and Fire Com
mittee, was the only new official at
the City Hall.
The mayor and his four commission
ers, called by the charter calder
men," out Of respect for the anti.
T. quated, took up the experiment of ad
ministering the city's affairs on pure.
ly business basis July 5, 1895. How
well they have succeeded is shown in
part by the summary Of results given
above. The mayor, being held pri
marily responsible for the success OF
the government, assigns each commits
sioner to his particular department
s said commissioner being chairman o.
i his own committee and a member o,
!, all four committees; the mayor, Of
e course, being ex-oflicio head of then
: all. Yet the chairman of each com
e mittee is the acting official head of his
department, and has a free hand il
: working out results in his own way
F.: While at all times each member of Q
Y committee is at liberty to make sug
|
: committed to its hands, yet the chair
t man, being the responsible head, pro
ceeds to organize and manage his owl
/ department and assumes the responsi
J. bility for any neglect of duty on thu
part of his subordinates. Hence thu
r efficiency Of each department. Nat
n
J, flict of authority, due to the over
r tapping of departments, but such mat
d ters are readily adjusted by reference
= TO the mayor; and the perfect harmony
}, and unity of action that has prevailed
S in the Houston plan is, in large meas
n ure, due to his wise supervision. II
e fact, it may be doubted whether o.
X not, in his many accomplishments foI
t the betterment of our city govern
o ment, there has been anything of NOR,
$ farreaching consequences.
e The four commissioners, as we'll a
: the mayor, are elected at large by tn
n qualified voters, thus calling for can
e didates of recognized ability; and eac'
n commissioner represents the Who'll
d city, instead of a particular ward
l. hence his task is the development o
# the city as a whole, and not one sec
d ton at the expense of another. War
p. lines have been abolished in Houston
ol and the ward idea of local self-goy
r. ernment, borrowed from state and ma
= ton, has been very properly labele
o "Misft," and placed among the relic
D of things that were. Other heads o
e departments are appointed by tn
j. mayor and serve during his pleasur,
c. excepting the controller, who is cor
lie frmed by the council, and can be II
j. moved only with their consent Al
~ sistants and employees are selected b
the heads of departments and are sui
Mt ject TO dismissal whenever their Sc
err vices are not satisfactory, just as
On the case in private concern. Know