Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-11
The MAYORALTY.

Is Joe Fern entitled to reelection as mayo
OF, the city and county of Honolulu?
The STAR-BUII,ETIN believes in recognizing
merit in office when electiOn-time comes am
worth alone should count with the voters. Thi
is a year when merit is going to count and whel
no man can expect the support of the voters I'm
less he can back his appeal with proof of hi
ability, his progressiveness and his fitness TO
public office during the next two years.
Mr.. Fern has had two terms in the mayor
chair. He has had four years in office. Wha
has he to show as record?
What progressive measure has he initiated
What piece of Legislation has he suggested ant
carried through? What has he made of his op
portunity? D., "..@.
Year after year the same excuse has beer
made for Fern,-the excuse that he did not hay,
majority of men on the board of his own polit
ical faith.
The voters of the dity and county are nov
confronted with two sets of candidates, Repub
1ican and Democratic, and it needs only glance
at the Democratic nominees to decide the aver
age voter that it's impossible to pick Demo
cratic majority from the seven men nominated
and insure Honolulu two years of progress
There are some good men on the Democratic
ticket The STAR BULLETIN has already stated
its belief that Petrie and Markham deserve con
sideration at the hands of the voters. But this
paper does not for one moment believe that the
entire ticket deserves support.
Mayor Fern, if reelected, will not have 9
Democratic majority on the board. The board
will be Republican in complexion, and Fern will
again face the rnsympathetic sentiment which
he has faced fog four years past. Does Homo
lulu wish two years more of the factional fight
ing that ruined the work of the board now going
out of office? Emphatically not.
Ferns record-o lack of record-has not
however, been SO largely due to a Republican
majority on the hoard as to himself. He simply
has not s'measgIed up to the job.
The years 1913 and 1914 will be great years
for this city. Honolulu is already in an era OF
rapid civic development. The city is spreading
by leaps and bounds. There are business houses
and residences going up on all sides; there are
streets laid out aud still to be laid out; there
are questions of lighting, of paving, of garbage
Improvement great questions The next legis
lature will be asked II turn over to the city the
water works and tie sewer system. These are
but few of the may, great functions of govern
. ment that are pressing more and more heavily
upon the governing powers of this municipality
The internal Development of the city demands
a man of calibre atthe head of the eity's func
tions, and man wiD can surround himself with
capable advisers man who will surround
himself with petty Miticians.
The external relations of the city are to be
considered. The tourist tide already is setting
this way as a prophecy for 1915, the year of the
Panama Pacific exposition. Honolulu must
have man who canworthily represent this city
-worthily in the eyes of the world. We must
not blush for our official representative; he
must not be a source Of derisve laughter.
With all of these things confronting Homo,
lulu, what has been Mr.. Ferns record as a
MAYOR? What has h. to tell the people as he
asks their support agtn?
Col Sam Parker his won the regard and the
esteem of many of tlf men who lead in Ameri
can affairs today. He will not be harassed in
office by a hostile BoEd. He will be surround
ed by brainy men ;lsh' will have the advice of
responsible men; hetill bring lot of common
sense to the solving d the citys problems.
And he will certainly lend picturesqueness
to the office. He WILDE mayor worth having