The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-02-02
WILL GO INTO
CITY ACCOUNTS
Services Of Expert rendered to
Supervisors to Bring About
Needed Reforms.

NOT so very long ago the mempeIs OF
the board of supervisors announced
that they would be very glad of any
helpful suggestions that might come
their way from the business men of
Honolulu. They are TO be given a
chance now to make good on those
words, as the chamber of commerce has
retained II. Cooling Field, trained
man, to look into the government of
the city with view of locating leaks
and suggesting plugs.
Today the supervisors will receive a
letter from the chamber of commerce
formally rendering the services of Mr..
Field and asking that he be given ev-
cry assistance possible in drawing
line ON municipal affairs of Honolulu
in comparison with cities of like size
and character on the mainland. 1t is
not expected that any objection will
be shown to allowing Mr.. Field to go
as far as he likes.
Three Months Job.
1t is thought that it will take him
about three months to make an exhaus-
tive study of the general governmental
situation in the county, prepare re-
port on his findings and outline rene
dies, should he find aught that requires
remedying. His retaining fee is said
I to be one thousand dollars, little enough
if he is able to locate the many known
leaks and the many more suspected
ones, even if he only draws authorita-
tive attention to them.
opportune Arrival.
The legislative committee of the
chamber of commerce presented a re-
port to special meeting of the trus-
tees Yesterday endorsing the proposal
to retain Mr.. Field to investigate the
municipal system.
The report, signed by J. P. Cooke, e.
+. Bishop and James A. Kennedy, sets
forth that "recently your president and
the committee on legislation and public
improvements appeared before the
board of supervisors Mt n public hear
ing and pleaded for an economical adj
mnistration. Not long after that meet
ing. H. Gooding Field volunteered to
read a paper before the chamber of
commerce on fCivic Economy and Eff
| fcency' Your committee consider that
| Mr.. Field IS arrival at this iuncture was
| very opportune and believe that his
paper was one of the ablest that has
ever been delivered before the cham
/ her of commerce. The committee were
so impressed with Mr.. Fields sugges7
tons that they had special meeting
with him Mr.. Field makes some strik-
ling COMPARISONS between our local
municipality and some cities on the
| ILL tl,x, frl- 4aA I10
quite extensive, Init your committee
| think that it is well worth taking up
aud believe that no better man could
! be obtained to take up a matter of
{ this kind than Mr.. Field. We heartily
recommend that he be engaged to make
the survey outlined.'
Not Knocking Scheme.
J. p. Cooke in presenting the report
said he felt so strongly in favor of the
proposition of Mr.. Field that if the
chamber had no funds available for
carrying on the work he believed his
firm would be willing to assist.
"T want to say.' said Mr.. Cooke,
'fthat our proposition is not KNOCK
| ing one. II will be constructive only
and with n view to help the supervisors
rather than be detriment. I believe
the supervisors will welcome our prop
ositions. What we want to do is to
cooperate with them.
New System Needed.
f.. Faxon Bishop said that it seemed
TO him that the commercial bodies
wanted to straighten out the municipal
[tangle, and this was the best oppor-
tunity. Figures already showed that
seventy-eight cents of every dollar of
revenue was paid out for salaries and
overhead charges, leaving twenty-five
cents for improvements. The only
remedy appeared to be in some reform
that will reduce the overhead charges
and the way to bring this about would
be to reorganize the municipal system.
A resolution was passed accepting
Mr. Fields proposition, providing the
| supervisors viii permit the chamber s.
representative to go through the entire
city affairs to secure the information
required to bring in report.