Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-03
Practical Suggestions On
New Charter Are Offered

SpcCtOn of markets, poi shops and
Such matters as require the certificate
OF health officer as prerequisite
10 obtaining a license, as for lOdClae
ana tenement houses and restaurants
also Of any all other purely l0CaI
affairs. Jurisdiction of all other health
matters to remain with the territory
1t would probably be an Advantage
10 nave the assessing done by the
territory. This would permit OF a
uniform basis and consistent system
throughout the territory. and perhaps
by relieving the territorial officers OF
the work of collecting, the way You'll
be opened for much needed improve
ment and efficiency in the matter of
assessing. 1t could be provided that
the territorial assessment should be
accepted by the municipality. The
/ collecting would probably be done
! with more promptness and less loss
by the city officials. Under the pres
ent system property taxes have been
known to remain uncollected for sew
eral years without any attempt being
made to enforce payment. The col
leetor should be put under bonds to
collect all taxes which have been as
sessed tefcre the next year comes
around or show good aud sufficient
reasons for not having collected them
The territory might be required to pay
the municipality a small commission
for collecting it's portion of tle prop
erty tax.
Laws relating to the obstruction of
CT Hny L. @e Iii,
etc, should be municipal and not ter
ritorial AS to some of these and in
c1dental matters there is at present
some unnecessary overlapping, dupli-
cation and confusion by reason of
territorial statutes city ordinances
and regulations of the board Of health
which deal with the same subjects,
covering the same ground and pre-
scribing different penalties for spracti-
cally the same acts. "
3-FOrm Of Government
The short ballot Five commission
ers and an auditor to be elected every
two years. The commissioners to
choose one of their number to act as
mayor, and if they Cor a majority
cannot agree, the governor to desig
nate the mayor. Commissioners to
appoint on majority vote the, city
clerk, treasurer, attorney, sheriff and
deputy sheriffs, road engineer, chief
of fire department, superintendent of
water-works, superintendent of cleo
trio lights, and chief of garbage de-
partment.: All other officials employ
ed ON annual salary basis to be under
civil service rules. The commission
ers to appoint city manager at
salary to be fixed intthe charter at,
say, four thousand dollars a year.
Such manager to have charge of all
on account Of the city, the
for tenders for supplies
and public work and reporting on
bids, and the general supervision of
all expenditures, under the general di-
rection of the commissioners. The
to receive a salary of
three hundred dollars per annum!,
Note: The city manager would be
the supervising executive of the
board of commissioners, and it's rep
in daily touch with The
doings of the several executive de-
partments. The department heads
would have to recognize the manager
as the personal representative of the
board and to get. accustomed to his
'butting in. The manager would
nave to devote his entire time to these e
luties and would not be allowed ttO
engage in any other business. The
BOARD of commissioners would be a
noney-appropriating, ordinance-mak-
ng and contract-awarding body. The
would not be bothered
With all the details which take so
much of the time of the present su-
)ervisorS. The manager would at
end to all those. The commissioners
would not take office for the sake OF
Getting a salary, and the pay sug-
,ested would merely be enough to
prevent them being out Of pocket by
eaSon of accepting office.
4-Other Details.
The direct primary. The recall or
lected officers upon petition of one
ourth of the number of the registered
oters at any time after one year OF
ervice. Any commissioner recalled
o be thereafter disqualified from
lection to the office of commission
r. The proposed new charter to be
ubmitted to popular vote.
Note: With two-year terms for the =
the extinction Of con-
iderable of the patronage through y
he introduction Of civil service rules,
nd the fixing of the salaries of the ,
rincipal officers in the charter. the :
ecall would not be likely to become
nuisance through frequent use.
me -fourth of the registered voters
'ould be about the equivalent of one e
1ird of the votes cast at the last :,
receding election. To require
igher percentage would render the >
ecaH useless The committe" Of ,,
should start a campaign
f education amOnk the EIawaiians to >
xplain to them the Deficiencies Of me ,
resent law and the advantages Of
ighcr- grade charter; otherwise r" :,
hances for the adoption Of new
harter will be small.
InSE Nt(Htnn DIES r