The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-12-06

~ much easier to draw plan ON
blank sheet of paper than on one which
is already well filed with lines, dots
and marks. The illustration is not a
very good one but perhaps, it will help
to show that much difficulty must in
evitably attend the establishment of To-
cal self-government in a country in
which, since its civilization, the people
have been accustomed to highly con-
eentrated form of government operated
throughout from one center of author.
ity.
System Must Stay and Grow.
but that was not the only obstacle
IN HAWAII. When the proposition was
first broached TO initiate local self-goy-
eminent here, the plan was received by
a large section of our people, many Of
whom prided themselves upon their
high intelligence-some of you here
present, probably-with apathy if not
actual opposition. / would not be sur
prised if there is still feeling lurking
in the breasts of some of you that we
would be better off without local gov
eminent. But if you will stop and
think for moment you will realize that
Honolulu, during the last eight or nine
years, has gone ahead by leaps and
bounds and to such an extent as to rem
der it practically impossible to revert to
the old system under which three or
four men operated the machinery that
| round out the public grist all the way
from Hawaii to Kauai, and superintend.
cd everything from the laying of
water pipe on Maui, or the repairing Of
road on Kauai, to the demonstrating
of lands on Hawaii, and the stamping
out of an epidemic in Honolulu. Public
opinion would not stand for a recur-
renee to that system. With this in
mind you viii readily satisfy yourselves
that local self-government is here to
stay, at least until national military ne
cessities-which / believe to be remote
demand something different, and that
the old order of things has gone for
good. The remedy fer such ills as we
nave, and the proper preparation for
meeting future requirements lies, there
fore, in improving, strengthening, and
endeavoring to perfect our municipal
government. You may as well accept
this as settled. l believe that among
the advocates of a commission govern
ment for Honolulu are a number of gen.
tlemen who have heretofore wished that
we had no charter at all. If 1 am right
IN this it is good sign that they are
now taking new ground. The task of
improving our municipal law is an in
teresting and important one, and one
which deserves the careful thought of
every taxpayer and of every one VINO
takes any pride in his home town and
its government.
A Live Subject.
81 understand that the Governor in
tends to recommend to the legislature
that it provide Honolulu with CON-
mission government, and that move
ment is on foot to secure the weight Of
public sentiment in support of the pro.
posed recommendation. A new charter
may be submitted to popular vote. The
subject has become live one. There
are several different forms of commits
sion government, and as the details of
the plan which will be recommended for
Honolulu have not been made public it
is impossible, of course, to go into par
ticuars at this time.
"There are certain things, however,
which would ordinarily be regarded as
being included in the idea of commits.
sion government as matter ofrcourse.
and certain other things which would be
regarded as properly going with it
though not indispensable to it. Among
the essential things for Honolulu would
doubtless be included the power to levy
taxes; the right to borrow money and
issue bonds; the ownership and sole
control of its streets, sewers, schools
and jails; control over public utility
companies, unless this latter shall be
confided wholly to a territorial public
utilities commissions; and clearly de-
fined authority in health matters. AL
most inseparahly connected with the
idea of commission government as it is
developing on the mainland are the di-
rect primary. the initiative, the refer
endum and the recall. 1t would prolone
} this paper beyond reasonable bounds to
| enter upon discussion of all these mat
J tiers, though careful consideration must
be given them when the proposed new
charter is taken up in earnest.
Direct Primaries.
"Suffiee it to say here, as to pri-
maries, that direct primary law may
in form be either partisan or non-par-
tisan. Under the partisan primary the
, names of the aspirants for nomination
for the various organized parties and
those of independent aspirants appear
on separate ballots, and when voter
goes to the booth to vote he asks the
| ihsPoCtol " buO VI
the Republican, the Democratic, or the
Progressive party, or that which con
/, tains the names of the Independent
e aspirants, according to whether he be
|. longs to one of the regular parties oil
J. otherwise as the case may be. Under
s. such a law the aspirants for nomina
k tion for any particular office who re
It ceive the highest number of votes OF
a their respective party tickets become
n the candidates of their respective par
u ties to be voted for at the ensuing elec
ton. Under the non-partisan primar,
y the names of all the aspirants for nomi
y nation as candidates for all offices ar,
II y printed ON one ballot without any par
ty designation, and every voter, on be
>, ing handed this ballot, may vote TO
q his choice of candidates irrespective o
y their or his party afliliation. So man,
~ Of the aspirants as the law may pro
"A vide for who receive the highest mum
~ Der of votes at the primary becom
% the candidates to be voted for on elec