The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-02-15

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FIRST, by transferring to the counties
exclusively many OF the powers and
duties in regard to roads, sidewalks,
PARKS, buildings, and other subjects,
over which the Territorial Govern
ment may still have considerable to
do under the language Of the stat
utes secondly by repeating many
statutes, such as those in regard to
road supervisors, road boards, can
toneers, and so forth, which are now
obsolete or imperative by reason of
the local government acts; and, third
", by amending statutes so that they
will show precisely who are to exc
cute them.
General Laws versus Ordinances.
In respect of many subjects there
! in no reason why there should be diff
ferent ordinances with different pro-
visions in the several different coun-
| ties, Ordinances, as a rule, are not
apt to be so well known as general
laws, are not so accessible, and are
confusing where they differ in differ
to certainty and convenience if the
| Legislature should enact necessary
| legislation, to the extent to which
| there is no need of local variation for
the entire Territory, leaving it to
officers Of the several governments to
execute such laws. There are a num-
| Der of subjects, as, for instance, those
| of automobiles, moving picture exhibit
tions and bill boards, upon which leg
| islation is desirable both for purposes
of uniformity of law and in order to
secure adequate provisions throughout
the Territory.
With reference to automobiles the
tendency of the mainland is too place
these under the central rather than
! the local governments, with one series
of numbers for the entire state or
territory. At any rate, a license is
sued in one county should be required
to be recognized in other counties,
and, in line with interstate and also
international movements now under
way, licenses issued in other counties
should by comfy be recognized here
when similar recognition is given
there tc licenses issued here.
ELECTIONS.
Direct Primaries.
The Australian ballot system has
long since been adopted nearly every
where, in spite Of strenuous opposi- I.
ton by factional interests, the object
being to secure a true expression Of
the popular mind at elections. Ex-
perience has shown, however, that
secrecy and freedom at the polls alone
in insufficient to effectuate the choice
OF the people when that choice is
limited to candidates whose selec.
ton is determined mainly by factional |
interests through the existing con-
yention machinery for nominations,
and consequently the direct primary
is now being rapidly adopted by one
state after another for the purpose !
of securing in nominations the same
safeguards and freedom of expression
that the Australian ballot system is
intended to secure in elections.
Even this reform has been found In
adequate in many places and now a
third reform, that of the Initiative,
the referendum and the recall, is
sweeping over the civilized world, de-
signed to make real the ideal of popu-
lar government Fortunately condi
tions in Hawaii have not reached
Stage calling for the third reform, and !
the need even Of the second reform,
that of the direct primary, is less
here than in many other places, but |
it would seem to be step in the right |
direction that may we'll be taken, at
least by way of experiment for county |
and city and county elections or for |
city and county elections alone.
suggest that in considering this ques-
ton the new so-called Berkeley system
be given careful consideration as one !
which may have the advantage and |
at the same time be free from some |
of the disadvantages of the ordinary
direct primary system.
Official Count.
Recent experiences in close cleo !
tions and the unsatisfactoriness Of I
the present modes of contesting cleo
lions suggest the desirability of pro- !
viding, as is done in some other
places, for an official recount of the
ballots cast for county and city and
county officers.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Funds.
Each Legislature is apt to be re-
membered, to its credit or discredit, !
but generally to its credit, for one
or more important acts or omissions
of unusual consequence. This Legis-
lature ought to earn a lasting name
as the friend of public schools Ha-
waii may justly be proud of its pub
lie school history, but of late it has
been in danger of losing some of its
good reputation in this respect. This