The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-11-26

'by the Balkan allies may
Ialf drawn, by the Powers. 1t is to be
1, Unfortunately for us, we, like
great many other American commuul-
ties. have made the costly error of re-
gaIding our city, if | may he permit
| ted to use the term, as an economic
necessity merely thing to be used
and evploitod-and being sanguine
people, we are proud even with our dirt
roads where macadam ought to be, or
macadam at $40 per yard, which
ought to have been laid for half the
price Would we not be the first to
condem the methods of private in
stitution which was spending seventy
! cents to produce thirty cents worth
of questionable results Yet we, as
Taxpayers are eomplacently pungling
up for the money to meet Just such
conditions in our own municipal affairs,
made possible by the present unbusi-
nesslike charter. Again, how can we
reconcile our sense of civic pride with
/ the suggestion which was recently
made in one of our neighboring cities
/ that a former employee of that city,
now "A convicted embezzler, should be
called in to manage the financial af-
fairs of its local government. What
we need, gentlemen, not only in Homo
lulu, but throughout the whole of the
Territory, is civic regeneration.
/ Flu thermore, we now hear that it is
mot at all unlikely that the present
competent fire chief of our city will be
( removed from Office to make room for
another man whose absurd qualification
to fill this important post lies in his
4 party affiliations, and that the appoint.
ment would thereby iiquidate some poll.
! teal debt. | do not anticipate for
a moment, that our incoming board of
supervisors will be misled into any
such exploitation of the spoils of muni
cipal Office. The fact remains, however,
that our present system of local govern
4 ment is so permeated with politics that
it is not impossible with any change of
administration to freely apportion pub
lie piunder among the faithful, regard
less of the serious menace it might be
to the lives and property of the people.
! 1t shows clearly in what a primitive
: and provisional condition our munich
pal democracy still finds itself.
In my recent investigation of the ad-
minstrative affairs of the City and
County of Honolulu, / found the fire
department to be one of the very few
branches of our local service efficient
ly administered, and it's present high
standard of efficiency was solely attri-
butable to the conscientious and capa-
bic work done by the present fire chief.
tell you, gentlemen, our local work
ing scheme of government is radically
wrong when there is even a remote pos
sibility of the removal from office of
tried and capable men, and of substitu-
ting in their stead men long on politi-
cal theories as to the conduct of bust
ness but lamentably short on even the
elementary requirements which go to
make success in public service. The
moment we realize the fact that the
ties which bind our cities and ourselves
! together are so intimate and SO vital
nothing short of civic torpor can KEEP
us selfish and inactive.
Examples Numerous.
"Within the past decade, the civic
pride of more than two hundred Amer
. Ican cities has become aroused, anG
city charters have been remodeled to
: invite efficiency, by providing for {
! simplification of official machinery anC
the concentration of administrative re
sponsibility in fewer hands.
: "WIth us in Honolulu, due to on
unsurpassed natural attractions and tn
, important part we shall be called upol
: to play after the opening of the Pan
Q anna Canal, we have come to the part
J, ing of the ways, and like other main
land cities who have already worke'
c out their own salvation, we find our
/ selves face to face with the probleI
q of overcoming extravaganza in the pr
T. mary functions of our municipal GOV
eminent. What we now need, Their,
d fore, is progressive public opinio
3 which will tack its claims on to tn
annual budget, and compel the stoI
page of leaks and the elimination Z
u habtual waste aud inellieiency in OF
II public expenditures. A complei
" change in our city's organic act is n
y initial step IN the right direction.
Scissors and Paste,
1.-The present charter of Honolulu
4 a product of the scissors and paste p0
10 ani ls a striking example 0f what ma
r. hu made possible Tor dissipation
official responsibility / DO not, ho'
ever attach all the blame for our ml
A. hi local government 10 the form
va out present chatter, Hs oven With
he perfect working charter foT our rit
No rnnt government can ouly be- HssuIi
u when competent aud reliable men "a
tp llH|H Iu office. $50 must nlr0 hf
I'd iN mind thar $40 cannot get good 8,
a. Nlrr from public srnHut n 80 fhuu
Hf frr nmI ami ihrir y un m0fe phreil
rn sos uf hiIHa lW iNau hF WihlnH hl
~ np n'lh b nunlDr of oihfIe 30 ih
H enough Az faifh ihp $50 M che afffa
.fa nulh da} f.iltH Nh faH, : irpeI
lN flHiifl lFftiopl fp effauiff a