Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-20
DEBATE
OVER COUNTY
PLATFORM
No Division as to Principle,
but as to Methods of
Carrying Out

Republican county platform calling for
the establishment of civil service reglI-
lations in the police and fire depart
Tncnts precfpitated fight on the plat
form sction by section that kept the
convention Debating over the docu-
ment for more than three hours yes
terday and last night. In fact 1t was
this discussion on the platform tat
delayed the nomination of candidates
so long ttA t,>.- sst.s.'1. A. zF
The platform had been read In full
and apparently was on the point of go
ing through without much change,
the delegates being anxious to get to
I've nominations. However, the q III
dank was picked up by John Wise
and vigorous objection was made to 1t
on the ground that it would be the
height of political folly to carry tlGs
plank into the campaign, and that it
isn't necessary now. The convention
upheld his action, and the platform
committee itself acknowledged that
this section might be cut out and no
great harm done
This discussion brought on the read
ing of the platform section by section
and then the objections came thick
and fast, but in the main the platform
stood the assaults and when 1t came
through the fire., it was not badly
rnutilated. #f-5
Fight Not On Principle.
The big fight came over the adop-
ton of the plans calling fors the seT0-
ration of municipal and legislative
elections and placing the supervisors
in classes with terms of service SINH
lar to those of the senator's The fight
was not against the principle OF the
plank, which is to prevent the present
hack-and-forth trading, the diekering
between legislative and municipal
candidates and their friends and ali
the politics played between the two
sets of offices because of the fact
that their nominations are at the
same convention.
All factions favored eliminating this,
and the objection came from those
who did not wish to see municipal
election one year. a Legislative cleo
ton the next, municipal election
again, and so on. Finally, after Chair
man Towse and w. r. Harrington had
made hard fight for the plank, 1t
stood and the exact method to he fol.
lowed will lie left to the legislature 10
When the platform had been read,
a motion was promptly made to adopt
/ It, but Achi and others insisted upon
its being considered section by sec
ton, there being planks with which
they did not agree In the section
relating to the responsibilities of the
party touching the Greater Homo
lulu, succeeding to the opening of
the Panama canal, successful at
tack was made on the clause cont
uniting the party to the principle of
q frontage tax for the building of new
streets and sidewalks. In vain Towse
cited the example of progressive
cities on the Pacific Coast-the clause
went by the board.
| Achi pitched into the section adyo-
eating municipal elections in years
6ther than those of legislative cleo.
lions and dividing supervisors into
classes like those of Senators so as
i to have holdover members on each
new board He moved an amendment
to make the term of supervisors
elected next November three years,
and the term of supervisors elected
thereafter folr years. A motion TO
table the amendment was lost about
six O'Clock and the fight went over
to the evening session w. W. Har-
ris then renewed the motion to table
the amendment, but the motion was
ruled out of order. He next moved
to strike out the section with the
amendment and after a tussIe on
points of order Towse succeeded in
getting the section through amended
without destroying its original intent
but leaving details to be settled by
the Legislature. - - ,.fs5
Free Sewerage Only Recommended
An anvil chorus greeted the pledge
to provide free garbage and free sew
erage, Lucas and others contending
that sewer taxes were necessary to
provide money for paying the cost of
construction. An amendment BY
Logan was adopted retaining the
pledge of free garbage but only re-
commencing free sewerage if the
Legislature can provide ways and
means. 49,
The section providing for a COM
mission to ascertain and award dam
ages for growing bananas destroyed
during the antimosquito campaign
was, after a sharp contest. sent to
the waste heap.
Payment of wages to prisoners for
work done for the Territory or mu-
nicipality, the money to go to their
% ind nf IL.