The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-03-28
.FREAR WRITES
TO HARBOR BOARD

At the meetig of the harbor com
mnissioners yensterday afternoon, a
letter from Governor Frear was read.
The Governor suggested that the
board rescind the action taken last
week, on the resolution about private
firms establishing their own water
service. Chairman Campbell with
drew his resolution of last week. This
was in order to allow the administra-
ton free hand in the compilation of
water data
Commissioner Wakefield was re-
quested to withdraw his resolution
also, but instead he moved that it be
laid on the table. This carried and
the meeting proceeded.
The governors letter reads az fol.
lows:
81 note that your board at it's last
meeting passed resolution to re-
quest the commercial organizations
and shipping interests to support the
superintendent of public works in Sc
curing appropriations from the legis-
lature to protect any deficiency which
might occur from reduction of the
water rates to fifty cents per thou
sand gallons for the shipping of the
port, on the understanding that if
such interests took the requested &C
ton the superintendent of public
works would Immediately take the &C
ton contemplated
This resolution, while intended to
meet very real and a very pressing
need, was not in my opinion the best
means to that end, and was doubtless
due to the suddenness with which It
was presented and the little time avail
able for it's full consideration.
"The resolution contemplates the
creation of a deficiency without legis-
lative authority, and also a change in
the legislative policy of having the
water and sewer works on an indie
pendent seIf-sustaining basis. Indeed,
It involves in several respects the
general fiscal policy of the govern
ment both in it's executive and its leg
islative branches. 1t assumes also
that each executive department or
each head of an executive department
may properly present to the legisla-
ture recommendations involving the
general fiscal policy of the Territory.
$50 far as the fiscal policy of the
Territory rests with the executive,
naturally the Governor is the only one
for determining this; otherwise there
would be chaos. Again, it is absolute
ly necessary that different executive
branches of the government should co
operate with each other in the public
= interests. Where functions overlap, oil
! the same service seriously affects two
or more executive branches of the gov
| eminent, one of them should not at
+ tempt to carry out a policy from its
own standpoint alone.
81 am more than pleased that in the
, matter now in question, namely, thai
of water rates to shipping, the board
, of harbor commissioners, the water
; works bureau, the shipping and bust
, ness interests concerned and myself
are in harmony as to the desired end
This presents a most favorable op
portunity to make thorough inves
tigation, collect the necessary data
and then work out a comprehensive
scheme in the public interests ant
the interests of all public services
J. concerned. Accordingly l am now hav
s ing the data collected and arranged
5 and hope to be abe within few
S weeks to have these sufficiently ad
vanced to make possible the formula
G ton of such a comprehensive schem'
d as that above referred to.
= Therefore, in order to avoid mis-
r understandings and future embarras'
Il ments, permit me to suggest that you
# board rescind the action of the las
meeting and leave the question ope
until it is possible to settle the que'
ton from a more comprehensive stanC
:, point. There can be no doubt tina
the water rates to shipping should b
very materially reduced, and there ca
be no doubt that feasible and prope
{ method can be found for doing thi
Just how this should be done and t
u what extent and when such rate
3 should be reduced it ought to be POI
Il sible to ascertain within a compar'
e lively short time so far as that lie
u with the executive"