The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-07-10
TOWN TALK
NJ FIN NAN ABOUT TOWN.

forgets our promises. Never was it
thus with a newspaper man in public
o ce. The newspaperman in an Of
fetal position goes at his job just as
he would go at a story.
For example: Territorial Treasurer
d. Lloyd Conkling is now by the grace
of Frear and his own good work, the
guardian OF the purse of the Islands,
having sacrificed his usefulness to the
cause of truth as a newspaper worker,
to get into government circles and cast
his good influence for reform. Along
comes the head of some minor ritili-
tartan department of the government
and presents warrant for a cool hun
, dred thousand for the expenses of his
department.
Conkling, as a newspaperman, at
once smells a story. If he were still
writing for a paper he would map out
some headline like this: What has be-
come of the thousands of dollars APP
proprated for the painting of govern
ment telephone poles?" Then he would
investigate and put it up to the au-
ditor for approving any such warrant
for an additional hundred thousand
and the claim would be cut down to
what it should be, namely: sos 60.
Another thing, when reporters gath
err round Treasurer Conkling for the
news of the day, he as trained news
paper man lis prepared to tell them
,
print only a certain portion of the
facts, instead of handing out a bunch
of falsehoods such as might ordinarily
be passed out under the Od-fashioned
impression that the greatest diplomat
is the greatest liar.
newspaper man is naturally truth
full, in spite of the cries of soreheads
/ that there is altogether too much fax
| ing.
Then there's my friend Matheson,
who has got the job of secretary to the
Territorial Secretary. Matheson, al
though he worked on the Advertiser
: is a good newspaper man and loves
the truth, and / venture to say that
his incumbency of the new job will
i facilitite the affairs of state inasmuch
as his newspaper mind will go straight
at the meat of things instead of flirting
with the frills of alleged policy, tact
diplomacy and other forms of polite
. lying.
Albright is a clerk in the Federal
= Court. He has worked on both the
Bulletin and the Advertiser but he is
clever and honest and can be depend
ed on.
| think / said several years ago, in
these columns, that the newspaper is
the daily Bible and a good newspaper
man is a perpetual prophet / an
+ still of the same opinion and there i.
, one thing | admire Roosevelt for, witt
, all his lime-light conceit. and that is
q he has had the discernment to place
newspaper men in responsible position
, in his great warfare on corruption anC
a other social games.
} In this regard Honolulu shows hel
d advancement. Her best friends arr
S the newspapermen and they undoubt
+ eddy have the best training for any bi:
+ business of government
Now if | could have the absolut,
), say in regard to the appointment o
# Territorial and City and County officer
1t I would nominate the following knight
of the pen for local jobs:
IS Walter G. Smith should fill the Gov
n ernor's chair, with Wallace r. Earring
1t ton as Territorial Secretary. Mathe
g son could have the Office of Attorney
n General and A. p. Taylor should b
N High Sheriff. d. L. Conkling shoul
stay where he is as Treasurer. I my
E. self would take the job of Superinten
IS dent of the Garbage Department fo
N there is a whole lot OF muck in thi
I'd fair paradise of ours that I'd jolly we
ic like to have the job of cleaning out.