Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-09-14

legs IN EOOu CITIZEN CLOTHES tnut an
impression has gone abroad that ours
are the only misgoverned cities on
earth and we have the only dishon
est officials.
Consequently when some of the
outside Pharisees go wrong, we take
notice and Mt least have the salts
faction that our city governments do
not support all the criminals.
Montreal one of the general ac-
Cepted model cities. has finally wax
ed up to the fact that It has lost
millions of dollars in, contract work
and official positions have been
bought and sold for years. Rumors
of corrupt practices caused the pro-
vincial government to make a thor
ough Investigation into the affairs
of the municipality. When this is
closed on Sept. / 1t is expected that
| indictments will be recommended
| against men prominent in politics
I and business. Like certain American
cities, the Canadian community has
come under the influence of men who
are using positions of trust for self
! enrichment.
The widespread discovery of graft
in public affairs has caused the i'm
! preston that men are more corrupt
today than they were quarter or
half century ago. But this is not
so. II may he that the opportunities
for the stealing which has been call
ed grating have increased with the
extension of public affairs; but, in
! 60 United States at least, there is
" better understanding OF the re-
Cuirement of good citizenship than
Q Ier before.
In the past the spokesman In city,
state and national affairs was in evil
dence. His opportunities, however,
were limited. Expenditures for pub
lie services were far from being ex-
travagant. Public services in the
shape of pavements, buildings. bridg-
es, street railways. sewers, filtration
plants, etc, were little in evidence
Consequently. there were not the
heavy expenditures which in recent
years have enabled the officials of
many communities to reyel In graft.
In the sixties New York State had
its canal rats There also were
rodents in other public works. A
clamor for reform resulted in many
politicians being retired to public
life. The State Capitol at Albany
was as prolific n source Of graft to
men who had sworn to faithfully
serve the people as the notorious
Pennsylvania capital has been in re-
cent years. So intent We're the New
York senators and assemblymen up
on lining their pockets with the tax
payers money that they neglected
to make the repairs which would
have saved the Hunt paintings on
the walls of the Assembly chamber.
when they. finally made the neces-
sary repairs in the neglected apart
ment they stole thousands of dol
lars by causing papiermache in
stead of carved oak to be inserted
: in the ceiling. A speaker of the AS
sembly and other public men were
driven out of the Offices which they
had misrepresented.
1t is well to glance back on the
:: past for the purpose Of comparing
present misdeeds with those which
were in evidence in the days wher
:, opportunities for unlimited graf
/. were restricted. We are not as bat
as We have been painted. An awak
ened public conscience makes vena
y offenses appear worse than they ap
:, peared to the folk back in the six
:, ties or the seventies.
There probably always will b.
a spoismen in Office. But they cal
enforce the order which should max
, graft and grating a very seriou
;, business. Perhaps 1t might be wei
a for the American public to folloy
the present inquiry of corrupt prac
i, tices in Montreal. Such attention
~ might give some idea of the name
= in which neighbor which is jea
:, lous of its honor deals with men VIII
Letray their trust.