The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-04-18
.|NCOMPENTENCY
IS LAID BARE
House Committee Unsparing in
Condemnation of Public
Works Department.

Alter having the Kaaua resolution,
instructing it to make thorough inves
igation of tho department of public
works, in hand for the past forty eight
iays, the ioust public Iands and IN
ternal improvements commlttce hled
ts long expected report yesterday.
The ,,eport covers .Ncnty-thIec sheets
,f tvncwri,ten matter and - consider.
"a n stronp critic SIN of Marstcn Camp
,eu who until recently was superintcn-
dent of the department. This comes in
lcar tls end of the report and reads
rs follows;
wheeler Jacks Ability.
"Though this committee believes in
he policy of promotion in public of
tees. we cannot, in view of all the evil
dcncc given before us in this invcst
,aton by A., q. Wheeler, conscientious
recommend his appointment to the
office Of superintendent of pubic works,
| incc we feel that through lack OF OK
,ericnec. he does not possess that exec.
tive ability or mature responsibility
called for in the exercise of that of
| Ice.
recommendations Made.
| Seven observation-disclosures hAt manu- W
he committee. 1t recommends the Sc
.regation of the Honolulu wafer works
md the sewers; creating separate
lepartment for tho sewer system; fur
her development of the water system;
enforcement by the attorney general
# the law relating to the calling cor
lids on work or supplies for the govern
ucnt in excess,of $1,000; inserting Ell
ective penalty clauses in contracts, for
allure TO complete in jhc tim sp,ci'
fed in the contract; ato ishmcnt OF t nc
/ ,ractise of making one bureau bear the
xpcnse of another with reference 10
automobiles; replacing worn'out anti
luatcd appliances and apparatus witt,
! view of cutting down repair bits. and
changing the law relative to the col
lection of water rates, so tie meter sys'
TEN may become workable.
The committee states it found that
Marston Campbell conducted the affairs
Of his department without due consld,
Grafton being given to the interests of
the Territory, particularly with refer.
,nce to the stability and durability OF
he work undertaken and the adapta-
bility of the structure to the use in
tended, and also the expanding of pub
tic money on the same.
Carelessness Pointed Out
Plans and specifications for wharvcs
were prepared without a thorough in
vcstigation having been made as
Weather and other conditions, both past
md present. existing mt points where
hesc wharves were to be constructed
suggestions, by those in position to
now better, were ignored entirely and
imely warnings foretelling results
hich would happen, and in fact did
.ctually oecu.,,, were practically uh
coded, says the report.
Tie construction u reservoirs comes
for some notice; one was construct
d upon plans and specifications 50
aulty and inadequate that it would rot
old water when completed Among
he public works investigated were tn
Alewa reservoir, Mabukona wharf and
ianalci wharf.
'ln all these, faulty plans and speci
ications, approved by the supci intend
> MT. were much in cvidenccj Alcwa
: escrvoir was absolutely useless, not
J. ICING able to hold water; Mahukonl
jharf was destroyed completely and
Z lanalci wharf is worse than useless a'
Ugh tide covers the structure and
hales it's use impracticable, says tn,
eport.
The report was ordered to print
u which win add anooher large item OF
ypcnse to what several members OF
' he house consider the most costly pub
! ic document of the present session
{ rhe three separate Investigations made
'cre attended to by the subcommittee
onsisting Of Chairman T., da Silva
'obertson and Lota. Chairman Silvf
nd Robertson visited Hlo, being &C
'ompanied by a special clerk and al
attorney, while the clerk an attorney
f the subcommittee visited IIanalei
Kauai
"There is no question but that thii
. eport is valuable one,'i stated 1
prominent member of the house ycster
lay, but it arrived altogether to-
ate this session for any good to COM
- rom it. There is now no time 70
cgisIation of a remedial nature, such a
recommended by the committee. -