The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-05-15

4tbtI't III the iC " ~ \ q ILiItuN al IL
strument with which to enforce itself.
The same spirit has brought about
cleanness ana business sanity in the
management Of the departments Of the
.csJv. Not only = l.4- .r.usa-. oh r..
the police department striking in its
results. but the department j operated
with less expense than formerly.
In the financial department. clean-cut
business methods have been adopted.
For the first time, interest has been
collected on city deposits, and dis
counts have been taken advantage Of:
u.t bills nave been collected. ANA rates
lower than was believed possible by
the financial community have been
secured upon the citY'> loans.
Higher Wages and Less Cost in Streets
In the Department Of Streets ana
and Public Improvements. under John
, MacNicar. more than half of the mil
! lion dollar budget of tHe city IS ex> |
ipentett. II has been the policy of the |
councilman to take everything directly |
into hjS own hands. and 10 do a. little |
! work by contract as possible. When j
/ he was in Office about a wear the city, /
. laborers and teamsters brought pres
sure upon him to raise their wages. /
! He considered this a fair request. ana
gave them a considerable advance
raising the laborers from 81 to So
Tor an eighth hour day the te3m>ters |
from s3.5D 20 $3.50. These wages Were
higher than those current, and I'M
questionablv tended to raise the scale
Of wages in the city. There was no
protest. however. made by employers,
! and the labOring class was naturally
pleased.
On the contrary, both this raise IN
pay and the limits of the city ; ap-
preparations made it necessary for the
manager of this department to secure
steady work from the city workmen.
Forcmer were allowed to select their
laboreIs. ana were held responsible for
the results. The result Of this change
Of policy was well set forth by the
answer Of a washerwomau. the wife of
a city laborer, to the question Of the
woman employing her:
How is your husband getting on'',
Not so well this winter. she sad.
- You see, the city has new plan. and
there j. no work when there IS nothing
to do
This general Tightening UP extends
everywhere in the management of the
streets. Contractors to their aston
ishment and disgust, have been held
up to specifications in Their work. in
spite OF strong attempts to use
political influence. The streets have
been cleaned better than ever before:
the alleys have been converted from
~vaste receptacles to passageways; holes /
in The streets made by plumbers and
public service corporations have been
properly filed up and surfaced. And c
work has haau
money. /;
A Large Financial Gain !
This holds true through the whole
management Of the city Il i diff
tcuIt to compare exactly the financial
operations Of any two city years: the
amount Of work done and the con
DIT tons vary too greatly. But it is
certain that the new government slight 8
reduced the tax rate. and gave much J
more satisfactory results It i clear. l
also, that previous governments almost |
invariably ran into debt from 100000 '
to S5o.000 year, and that the council
preceding TIE new one showed a deficit
Of $4,000 in is current operations. L
The present council. in Is first wear :
lived $4,000 within is means - shout I
a million It can safely he said that !
ITS economies VII not h. measured by {
ten per cent. Of the ciry'S revenues. /
Results Follow Controversy. l
It must not be understood that the =
conduct of the business nf Des Ma'nes I
has been an orderly and Harmonious :
process. Democracy thre<hiug op- its :,
Nrhlic affairs j. not a pleasing or an 7
eGifying spectacle, especially when :
I hat work Is performed bv politicians. :
In the mi1dla nf +ifs e. .,.-,,-:r. Al