The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-01-07
COUNTY CLASHES
WITH TERRITORY
Street Excavation Ordinance Is
the Rock on Which the
Authorities Split.
WILL ARREST GAS COMPANY
Superintendent of Public Works
Grants Permt to Lay
Gas Nuns.
tFrom wednesday, Advertlser.l

(From Wednesday, Advertiser)
Some one connected with the gas com
pany is going to get ched. just who
that some one is remains to be seen,
but there is trouble in the wind. And
its all because folk will not pay proper
respect to the new ordinance which
requires that permit shall be secure
before any street is excavated.
The row broke at last nights meet
ing of the board of supervisors, when
letter from Marston Campbell was
read, stating that he, in his capacity as
! superintendent of public works, had
given the Honolulu Gas Company per-
| mission to continue the gas main along
Manoa road about 100 feet, to the cor
ner of Dominis street, and $50 feet
along Dominis street to point opposite
the Pleasanton.
just as soon as the letter was read
| Quinn moved that the county engineer
be instructed to take a look and sec
that the provisions of the street ordi'
nance were complied with. Gere quiet
| ly responded that the work. had beer
completed and that the gas men had
| gone about their way.
"What, they've put down that main
| Then we II have them arrested,' shout
ed the irate supervisor Mcclellan die
not say anything-but he looked much
"Those people have franchise,
suggested the county clerk.
1 ~ - Grn1 hanlr tha nprn
ocratic supervisor, "they must ODE.
the law
Then Quinn casually observed tina
| the minions of the superintendent o.
public works are the worst offender
in the city, when it comes to tearini
up the road without any thought t.
consequences, and he observed that tn
time had arrived to show that the ord
nance was passed to regulate people
and not to ornament the statute book
The matter was finally referred {
the road committee and the county a
torney, with the insinuation that ther
would be something doing in bi
hurry.
Since the ordinance which require
permit before an excavation can
4 made was first passed, it has bee
I patent that there must sooner or lat
come a collision between the count
and territorial forces in regard to a
t thority. The superintendent of publ
Y works gives permission for the exte
n sion of public services systems, in a
cordance with the provisions of Il
franchises of the corporations effecte
y !, and those corporations show tenden'
}, to take it for granted that the supe
u ntendent S permit is ample and suf
2 cient.
But the county fathers are nigh
anxious to have some tab on Il
y streets, as they say that it is up
II them to put them in order, and thu
therefore insist that they have the fin
say as to who shall have the right
r do any excavating. They passed
r ordinance to enable them to do t
r supervising, and they have been tryi
,. to supervise ever since.
As matter of fact, there seems
be some question as to just where {
authority of the Territory ends n
where that of the county begins a
the minor solons believe that the mi
ter must sooner or later be carried in
the courts The present miXup W
probably result in the matter bel
threshed out through legal channe
that is if the supervisors carry O
their expressed intention of having t
gas company arrested for tearing up t
street without permit.
Just whose fault it is that the boa
was not notified that the gas men we
busy on Manoa road and DOmInis sire
did not develop last night.
--s.x x-s----