The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-12-06
EXTRA BALANCE
FOR SUPERVISORS

Instead of a measiy little balance of
$4,000 to the credit of the city and
county for the month of December,
over and above fixed charges, Super
Nisof Murray last night electrified the
board with the statement, prepared
from figures handed out hot from the
pended balances from appropriations
made since July there would be bal.
ance of closer to s. 1000.
The announcement caused a wordy
battle between Murray and Low. in
which neither minced words concerning
the other, but in which Murray came
out the victor, as he was backed up
by James Lloyd, deputy city auditor,
who defended his department in an
able manner against attacks made up
on it. or ''slamsr as he termed them,
made against it.
At a previous meeting Low had an
nounced there was between $4,000 and
$4,000, a statement which caused Mar
ray to take umbrage, and this criticism
resulted in Low waxing sarcastic at
Murray's expense.
Murray laid low for Low last night,
and called for the latter's statement
of balances as chairman of the ways
and means committee. Low not only
handed it over, but carried it across
the hall and laid it upon Murray IS
desk
"Is this the whole statement" in
quired Murray.
''You can have the full totals to-
morrow - answered Low
Then Murray threw his bombshell. 1t
dropped, exploded and the shells flew
wide and hit several members. There
was supervisoriai gore and the fur also
flew Murray had a statement of his
own, which showed careful preparation.
He stated he had also obtained his
statement from the auditors Office, but
unlike Low had asked also for the
statement of unexpended balances and
that showed exactly how much cash the
county had.
Low came to his own defense by stat.
ing that he thought he was being fur.
nished with complete statement as he
had asked for it, but it looked as
though the auditors department fur.
nished one member with one set and
another member another set of figures
statement which James Lloyd later
refuted when he stated that his de.
partment had unswervingly given ev.
erything to each supervisor who asked
for it and his office had been uniformly
attentive to all members.
"We have, perhaps unwittingly, kept
from the information of the board these
unexpended balances" said Mr.. Lloyd
But before Mr.. Lloyd made his state
ment, Murray said things to Low.
''You re not big enough man tc
have the craftsmanship of this ways
and means committee" he said. "Yor
claim to have got full statement and
you didn't. You didn't go in and
check up and get the right balance.
did that and here are the figures"
1t finally wound up with the state
ment that at least $11 900 to $4,000
would be available because of unex
pended balances. For instance the ap
preparation for license commissioners
would not be used. Only 81 of the
5000 appropriation for the juvenile
court had been expended. There wa.
balance of about $1100 from the re
pairs made to the Makiki ditch.
Murray at the close of the meeting
asked for recess that the board re
solve itself into committee of thu
whole in order that he might Introduce
several resolutions covering the balance
as he had figured it and which the city
attorney said could be reappropriated
The board went into committee of tht
whole and the Murray resolutions wer'
read as follows:
From the road tax fund for Honolulu
district, $4,000 for repairs to Maunake;
street, Kqimuki roads, Nuuanu avenue
at the Dowsett junction and repair
along King street while waiting for thu
Rapid Transit to do its share Of thu
paving.
From the permanent improvement
fund, 5000 for repairs to bridge il
Koolau, storm drain in KaimuBi ani
bitulithic pavement from end of Queer
street bridge to Hackfeld wharf, tn
latter item amounting to 1880. Fo
the Eva district $1,000, and for cleo
ton expenses $1o1, the latter from tn
general fund. The items were favorabl.
reported.