The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-12-06

the city, and they would be paid sal
machine with which to perpetuate them.
selves and their henchmen in office that
would be very difficult to overturn. The
recall was designed partly as a wea-
pom for use against such a machine and
partly for the removal of corrupt Of
ficials, though in the last analysis the
verdict must in every case rest with
the voters at the ballot box.
Term of Office.
"'Under this system the charter
might give the commissioners terms of
either two or four years. In case the
term should be for two years complete
set of commissioners would be voted for
at each election. If the term should be
for four years it would probably be pro
vided that a portion of the commission,
ers would be voted for at each election
that is, two at one election and three
at the next, so that portion of them
would hold over Just as the senator's Ia
now.
"Under our present law the supervi
sors draw a salary of six hundred dol
lars a year, and they devote as mucl
they feel inclined to give or as then
respective occupations permit. Under
commission government the commission
ers would he required to devote most, il
not all, of their time to the business Of
aries of anywhere from two Thousand
TO four thousand dollars a year each, NJ
| may be fixed in the charter depending
somewhat on the liberality of the legis
lature, or, perhaps to some extent, oil
Ithe price of sugar. Under the commits
! sion system about the only differenc,
between the mayor and the other com
missionerrs is that the mayor preside
at the meetings of the board and rep
resents the dignity of the city. Other
wise he shares with his fellow commits
sioners the administrative and legisla
tive work of the city government, eac
! commissioner being the responsible hea
of one of the executive departments.
Success Elsewhere.
d" Commission government has bee
! pronounced a success in most, and prob
ably all, of the cities which have adopt
led the plan. 1t has been found to b
efficient and economical and, so far, a
beast, more amenable to public opinio
than the old system. Whether it vii
continue to live up to its reputation
only time can tell. / am not so san
guine, as some Others who have ad
dressed themselves to this subject seer
to be, that the adoption by Honolul
of the Des Moiues plan, or that %
either Grand Junction, or Boston, o
Berkeley, all of which differ in som
particulars, would prove panacea TO
all of our municipal ills.
81 do not suppose that the advocate
of the short ballot system for Honolul
propose to adopt any particular pla
holus,bOlus and without giving cnrofr
consideration TO local conditions and r,
quiremenis. Every city has had It's ow
peculiar experiences and must procee
upon its own history, aud these must b
needed even nt the risk of reading th
minutes Of the last meeting Tho forl
of a city's charter undoubtedly has a
important bearing upon the enicienc
Of the citY's administration, mt so
cannot make o municipal g0yornmou
economical, efficient and sureehBful b
the mere enactment Of charter an
more than you can ereHie good gnYrri
ment' hY writing these two W0rdn On
piece 1f paper You cannot adopt
new charter for the eiiy nni then mi
nfnr and 80 40 sirrp boa hlhslul rWl
lily
Not fana0oa.
"in an article iu lionion papol
A8hlrh Nps reprinted in Tho Advertise
tOnf months ego a WHH said lhm ih
movement inNHfd commission npfpfn
mpni fof munipllHlIilrs has hnn fhrrl
80 a be- n0i borrower boon stepped
While lhr MUS fnihnaiHsilr HWpnN n
hifofaira mHf M disappointed hflaut
"a HllH fhpu NJ WeiaiaiHins No fafi