The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-03-17
LINEUP AGAINST
TRANSFER OF
PLANT
Strong Reasons Against
Resigning WaterwOFkS
to County.
COMMITTEE HEARING
Opponents Assert Credit
Of Territory Would
Suffer.
COMMITTEE HEARING
fFrom Thursday,s Advertlser.l


turned over to the control Of the board
of supervisors9
That was the question debated be-
fore a gathering Of many of the most
prominent citizens of Honolulu, as we'll
as the finance committee of the house
of representatives, in the old throne
room of the Capitol last evening. At
the end of the meeting it was the gem
eral feeling that the advocates of the
county management had not made out
a very strong case.
When all the arguments of w. G.
Achi, Harry Murray, Eben Low, R. w.
Single and W. R. harrington, who
were advocates of the transfer, were
sifted, the one point of consequence re-
manning was that possibly the super
visors could run the department of
sewers and water better than the Ter
ritory, because the board could give
closer attention at any time to the
needs of the people.
But this was questioned by the OPP
ponents of the transfer, and W. o.
Smith, B. Won Damn, c. R. Hemen-
way, E. E. Paxton, Senator Fairchild,
o. Lewis Jr., B. F. Dillingham; and
especially Col. Sam Parker, held that
the best interests of the Territory, as
well as the city and county of Homo
lulu, would be best conserved by the
Territory retaining control.
Question Of Finances.
cit is question of finances, of the
financial credit of the Territory" de-
clared speaker after speaker, that the
Territory retain the management of the
water works.
The point was made that at the time
the bonds, amounting to $925,000, were
sold, the organic law prohibited the
bonding of counties, while now they
are permitted to borrow only one per
cent of their assessed valuation each
year, which, in the case of Honolulu
county, amounts only to $750,000, while
to take over the water works the
county would have to assume the $685.
600 of bonds, which is unlawful.
But the bill, No. SO, which is before
the house, provides that while the city
shall pay the interest on these bonds,
it shall only pay to the Territory
$4,000 a year. ''But where will it
get it," was asked, "without some
other department sufferingH"
Water Rate Low.
AS matter of fact the water rate of
Honolulu, under the present manage
ment of the water works, is only seven
and half cents a thousand gallons,
which is less than almost any city in
the country pays. San Luis 0bispo,
California, paying forty cents, and
even Los Angeles pays ten cents, which
is considered a very low rate.
All kinds of accusations were made
by all sides. 1t was asserted that the
only reason for turning over the plant
was politics. The other side limited at
the same reason for not turning it over.
Achi almost wept when he spoke of the
poor people of Kalihi, who had waited
ten years for a water system, and their
only hope was in the board of super
visors.
harrington jumped on the present
management and drew comparisons
with what might be under ideal man.
agement. Harry Murray stated that
the water works were self-supporting
and when it came TO management the
supervisors could do it as well as the
Territory. In fact everybody took
whack at the question one way or an
other.
Hand and Glove
Eben Lows first argument was that
the water works should be turned over
TO the supervisors because they have
done a great work on the roads and the
water works and the roads ego hand
and glove His second argument was
that the reason there was so much op-
position was because the people did
not think the supervisors were capable
OF handling the problem.
harrington asserted the present ad-
ministration was not responsive TO the
public demands, its only idea being to
make money, and so raised rates, and
there is a general protest. But he did
not quote statistics, which show there
are lower rates here than in almost any
other city.
w. o. Smith stated that there was
not only complaints against the Terri
tory, as cited by Achi and Harrington,
bat against the county as well, and il
was difficult to please everybody. He
called attention TO the financial com
plications and the good faith Of the
Territory pledged for the payment Of
the bonds, while the water works were
a benefit to whole islands.
Thine Not Arrived"
II feel very strongly that the time
has not yet arrived to turn over the
water works 70 the county. Go slow.
The whole question now Is one Of an
engineering problem" declared Mr..
Smith.
G. r Hemeuway voiced ths protest Of