Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-02-17
REPORT read BY
CHAIRMAN Wilmington

A report of the committee on leg
islation and public servants was read
by Chairman d. l.. Wilmington be-
fore the Civic Federation yesterday
Afternoon, and is as follows:
To the Executive Committee of the
Civic Federation
Since the last annual meeting OF
the Federation, session of the Leg
islature has been held. The result
Is a cause Of congratulation, in that
the assault upon the excellent exist.
ing liquor law by the liquor inter.
ests, holding a control of the Senate
by combination between its Demo-
cratic members with Republican Sem
ators, who repudiated their party
platform in consideration Of support
from the liquor interests, while sue
cessful in the Senate, was defeated
in the other house. 81
With local option In view, the as
ISOLATION succeeded, in 1906, in
electing the Hon. w. o. Smith to
the Senate; and. to effect this, they
endorsed Democratic Senator, the
Hon. c. ]. Mccarthy, who pledged
himself publicly to local option. In
stead of local DIPLOMA term well
understood. in force all over the
country; meaning an election ut
stated ICriods, under ordinary meth
lndc IN Aafnrn,fnA xuha
shall be issued In precinct-@there
was introduced into the liquor bill
which was passed provision which
provided for no election, but under
which the signature and the ac-
of the signature OF n
majority of each of the voters on the
registry, whether voting or not. had
to be procured, method which had
proved ineffective in California and
In other States of the Union for rea-
sons which are obvious.
We think this association should
Istill stand for the principle OF local
option. IL 1t can not be obtained,
and the alternative is an unregu-
lated and unrestrained sale of intox-
icating liquors as between 1906 aud
1907. a prohibitive law which Will
inevitably lead to a stringent local
option law is the best alternative.
Much of the time OF the associa-
tion In the last year has been spent
on the subject of the coastwise ship
ping laws. AS yet, except In the re-
taxation Of the enforcement OF the
provision for fine, by It's remission.
there has been no change In the law
So far as the county governments
are concerned, we have to report
that. with the exception of the 10
land of Hawaii, the counties seem 10
be administered as honestly as could
be expected - but extravagantly,
chiefly due to the numerous unneces-
sary Offices which have been ere
ated. There seems to be general
satisfaction with the county admins
tration In Kauai, fair amount of
satisfaction In Oahu and Maui; but
the result In Hawaii Is very un sat
isfactory to the lover of efficient
l'Sohohiicai anu HoHest dufiliHiSlTa-
ton. 1t seems to us chiefly due to
the lack of interest Of the more In
telligent class Of voters, who are
more engrossed in their business at
fairs than in public affairs. There
Is no radical reason why as good u
county government should not be
given on Hawaii as on Kauai.
Whilst the administration of po-
lice affairs is apparently free from
open graft, and In certain respects
has been satisfactory, there has been
a laxity in the enforcement OF the
law. We call particular attention.
In this respect, to the lack OF an
adequate appropriation by the Legis-
lature for the enforcement OF the IL
cense law and the lack of interest