The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-01-10
Isadore Jacobs Compares Local
Conditions With Those in
San Francisco.
MERIT SYSTEM RIGHT ONE
Reports President-EIeo:. Wilson
AS Non-P artisan in Affairs
Municipal.

Isadore Jacobs, president of the Cali
fornia Canneries Company, which is
planning to erect a large plant in the
Islands, one of the most prominent
Democrats in the West and a personal
friend of President-eleet Woodrow Will
son and Chairman McCombs, of the
Democratic central committee, has be-
come interested in Honolulu's plans for
new city charter during his stay in
the city.
81 have been reading the reports of
the controversy over the changes in the
municipal officers with much interest"
he said, last night. "of course, it is
presumption on my part, but as chair
man of the Good Government League
of San Francisco, 1 can say that we
passed through the same conditions that
YOU have in Honolulu.
"You will not be able to bring about
permanent good government in your
municipality until you entirely elimi.
nate partisanship in your municipal
elections.
Citizenship Above Partisanship.
"'The San Francisco eommittee, of
which | was the head, began its cam
paign Immediately after the disaster of
1905. Its motto was citizenship above
Partisanship. We carried every Office
in the city government, excepting one,
electing thirty-oBe officials. Subse-
a
ter amendment convention, and the citi-
zens finally amended the city's organic
laws relating to elections.
"The party column was abolished,
and majority elections assured by maxi
ing it impossible to have three candi-
dates, so doing away with the three.
cornered contests which frequently di-
vided the citizenship into two camps,
but the principal thing accomplished
was the elimination of partisanship in
municipal affairs
90 For instance, take the City of Ho.
nolulu. Why should frst-class fire
chief be removed merely on account of
the fact that he is not member of
the party in power. Merit alone should
govern in the appointments to munich
pal Office. in business We would al
ways retain an employe who has rem
dered faithful and efficient service. A
municipal government to be successful
should be conducted in the same man
ner as large business.
Wilson for Civil Service.
"Although, as a Democrat, | have
been asked by citizens here for my
opinion as to local affairs, L have re-
Trained from expressing them hitherto.
But / will say that | am non.partisan
when it comes to municipal affairs, and
l can say of my own personal know
ledge that Woodrow Wilson believes as
do.
"He is far from being a partisan in
either municipal or national affairs when
the question of efficient service comes
up. He is strongly in favor of civil
service reform, and of keeping the
right man in the right place, and he is
going to prove big disappointment
to those ofiicerseekers who imagine he
believes in the antiquated spoils sys-
tenn.
"The sooner the citizens of Homo
lulu recognize the Importance of abol-
ishing pnrty lines in municipal affairs
and municipal elections, the sooner will
they have better municipal eondi-
tions. -
Mr.. Jacobs is leaving Honolulu on
the Sierra and win hurry on to Wash
ington from San Francisco, as he is a
of the inauguration committee
which will make the preparations for
the fourth of March.