The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-11-11
CRAFT PROBE
NEEDS MORE
MONEY
Appropriation for Hawaii Com
mission Is About Exhausted,
While There Is q Great Amount
of Work Yet TO Be Done Be-
fore Audit Is Complete and Ma
jority of the Grafters Have
Been Run to Earth.
(Mail Special to The Advertiser)

(Mail Special to The Advertiser)
HILO, Nov. 1T is now very plain
that the entire work of the graft com.
mission cannot be completed within
the sum of twenty thousand dollars
which was appropriated for its session
by the Legislature. Report had it last
week that the commission intended
to ask the board of supervisors TO
assist it in winding up its work by
giving it an additional appropriation Of
ten thousand dollars. This is a gross
exaggeration, however. 1t is likely
that the commission will ask the coun-
| ty fathers to contribute some sum, but
it will be no more than five thousand
dollars and is likely to be some figure
nearer three thousand dollars.
In the absence from Hilo of Com
missioner Williamson, who has been
the watchdog of the commission treas,
ury ever since its work began, it is
impossible to state with accuracy just
where the commission stands finan.
cially. Chairman Elliot figures, how
ever, on the basis of statement which
was made to him by Williamson before
the latter went to hunt grafters in
Kona that the commission will have
left at the end of November only about
one thousand dollars.
The Pay Roll.
This sum is, of course too small to
defray the expense of keeping the
work running ON its present basis for
a single month. The salary of Breck.
ons is $3.50 month, and his hotel ex-
penses are 500 more. Gooding Fields
salary is $500, and that of his assist.
ant $780, If to this is added money
paid for stenographic work and other
expenses, it seems that it will be m.
possible to keep the work of the com.
mission running for less than $500
month
The commissioners are OF the Opin.
ion, and in this they have the strong.
est support of the business C immunity,
that it would be absurd to abandon the
work of the investigation, now that 1t
is almost completed, merely on ac
count of the lack of few thousand
| dollars.
Three Months Work.
While it is, of course, impossible to
estimate just how much longer time is
needed for the audit, as there is IL
ways IA likelihood of new mines of graft
being found, which will delay the
audit beyond expectation it is probable
that it can be finished in about three
months. 1t is also figured that the
prosecution of the grafters who have
been caught so far should not take
more than couple of months more.
Not only do the commissioners want
to have the prosecution and the audit
completed, now that both have reached
their final stages, but, in regard to the
latter, they want complete report
made by Gooding Field outlining a
practical financial system for the coun.
ty, which can be adopted right away.
As matter of fact, it may be sug-
gested that Gooding Field be asked by
the county to install new system and
start it running smoothly. Another
thing which he should be asked to do
before he finishes his work, it to get
the exact amount due on outstanding
warrants. For many years the county
has never known just where it stood
financially, as there was no man who
could tell just how many obligations
the county had outstanding against
it. Once this figure has been ascer-
tanned, however, tEe county should keep
an outstanding warrant book, so it
| would be in a position to know always
tho amount of its outstanding liabil-
tiles.
nb Will Not Disband.
Chairman Elliot last week gave out
the welcome information that in HIS
opinion, the graft commission should
aot terminate its career for consid-
cradle space of time to come, possibly
not before the next session of the legis-
ature. This news win not be partic-
ularly welcome in some of the county
Offices, where plans are now being
made as to how vengeance can be
wreaked on those citizens who have
in one way or the other assisted in
breaking up the old county regime.
For that very reason, however, it may
be particularly well to have the com,
mission remain in session ms long AS
possible.
Chairman Elliot points out that the
law does not specify any time when
the commission shall 90 out of exist
enee, At all events, IL must first com.
plete It's report, aud this work will
probably take quite a long time, par.
ticulnrly as the commissioners plan 10
10 u In their spare time, They do not
propose to charge for their services In
this connection, unless ID involves their
going from liilo 10 Honolulu for con.
ference on vice versa bat this IL not
ihelY Ca rOst very much, aud the main
expense of getting oui the report will
be- TINT of The mechanical raustruFti ion
thereof
Ready eos Quick Work,
~ the mean time, IL the commission
muirs ia session, "a viii he able 90
fHnffnr ln fnse neW graft eases are
discovered iihr fact that gIan has
hfpu g0lug au night unsrf thr uose of