The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-12-27
TO THE
THREE-C0UNTY PLAN
Argument Is That Running Ex-
pense in Kona-Kau Would
Eat Up All the Income.

The Hilo Tribune does not think
much of the suggested three.county
division of the Big Island, voicing its
own objections and those of others edi.
torially, as follows:
'The assertion made in the Honolulu
press to the effect that the Governor
is in favor of the plan to divide the
present County of Hawaii into three
separate counties, has been the cause of
considerable surprise here. In spite of
the arguments which the Governor is
quoted as having made in favor of the
proposition, it still seems that the effect
of the plan, if it is carried into opera
ton, will be detrimental to the island
as whole. 1t is quite possible, even
probable, that one or two of the new
counties might do quite well under the
changed order of things, but the coun-
ty left which would be deprived of a
corresponding sum would suffer in the
same proportion. 1t would be a case of
robbing Peter to pay Paul, and the
credit of the entire island and of local
county government in general would
suffer
Furthermore, the Governor argues
from mistaken premises when he makes
little of the duplication of comfy of.
fees which would of necessity follow.
Three supervisors for each of the small
counties would mean two supervisors
more than we have now, and then the
electorate of the Hilo-Puna- Hamakua
county would have less representation
than it now has, where these districts
have four supervisors. In Kohala the
situation might be quite satisfactory,
but in the KonaKau county Kona
would, by virtue of her large popua.
tion, have two supervisors, and Kau
but one. The result would be that Kau
would pay twice as much in taxes as
Kona while Kona would spend most
of the money.
Gas a matter of fact, the three.
, county plan is impossible of execution,
! if for no other reason, at least because
of the fact that the Kona- Kau county
would be doomed to die at birth from
malnutrition. A calculation, based on
| the revenue and expenses of these two
districts during the past year. will give
an approximate idea of how the finances
of that county would pan out. The in.
| come of the two districts would be
about as follows: Share of general
taxes, $4,000; total taxes, $4,000; Ii.
| censes, $4,000; and fines and costs, prob.
| ably about $500; making total of
! about $4,000. The salaries of police
| iaileIs, district magistrates and deputy
! sheriffs are about $4,000, those of
three supervisors would be $500, and
the salaries of the county attorney
auditor, clerk and treasurer, even if
they were reduced to say 1925 month
would amount to $60OO, making the
expense of salaries alone amount to
about $21, 500.
"In other words the Kona-Kau
county would have about $4,000 q
! year with which to meet all expenses
/ outside of the salaries mentioned
above. Ont of this amount it would
have to pay all its incidental expendi
lures and for the maintenance of jails
courthouses, school buildings and fol
road and other public work. 1t would
also have to rent or build a county
building, and when the expense of in
stalling the new government, the pur
chase of furniture, fixtures, books, etc.
! is taken into consideration, it vii
readily be seen that it would be i'm
possible to even start, at least, onC
of the little counties.
con the whole the three-county idei
seems to be open to just the same OBJ
iections as the old two-county plan
only it is even worse.