Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-10
The NEXT STEP


ties
Nothing less will satisfy the demands for jus
tice for impartial inquiry, for publicity, growing
out Of the revelations of Hawaii countys fnan
cial scandal
The officials of the other counties hold pop
ular confidence There is not a breath of sllspi
cion against such a man as James Bicknell OF
Honolulu, for instance But the auditors OF
these other counties, all of them exposed to the
temptations of system apparently as flagrantly
weak as that of Hawaii county, should be the
first to demand expert investigation of their of
fetal acts
Very apparently the whole system, particu
larry in its lack Of definite relation with the ter
faulty. 1t favors the incompetent; it shields
the corrupt; it protects the criminal because he
is secure from outside scrutiny.
III. Gooding Field, whose examination of Ha
waii county's financial status opened the way to
these later revelations of scandal, declares that
he drew the attention of the territorial auditor
10 the discrepancies in the cash balances shown
. on Auditor Maguire's yearly statement
Territorial Auditor Fisher declares that he
has nothing to o.with the auditing of the coun-
ty books. This may be quite true, but certainly
Mr.. Fisher has done little to draw official atten-
ton to the scandal brewing through The abuse Of
system he himself Installed. Certainly Mr.
Fisher has not cried.out against the suspicion of
wrong as he might have cried out if, as alleged,
he sawsthe evidences of juggled figures plain be-
fore him. Or if he has cried out, why has not the
territory acteds
The unpleasant truth is that though the board
Of trade of Hilo started theswheels of justice
rolling in authorizing the Field investigation,
there was no territorial force to keep the wheels
rolling
When the Lyman crookedness became pub
lie the press of the territory called for an inves
LEGATION that would 60 further than the Field in
vestigation. AT repeated intervals since, the
newspapers have asked the territory or the coun-
ty of Hawaii to come to the front in a fight for
the truth and the whole truth. But apathy and
official neglect have baked the demands of JUS
fice; officials have been too busy doing some
thing else; politics, business, influence, these
have blocked the pathway to public inquiry.
The cloud of scandal has burst; the terri
tory is astounded, stupefied; and now at last
the territory will probably act.
rs One OF the lines. OF action 0uSnC TO DE the eS-
Establishment of bureau of accounts that shall
have the power to audit both territorial and
county books. The Star Bulletins proposal of
this last Saturday has received general commen
dation 1t is in line with what Field has con-
tended for many months, and in view of the
work that Field has done, he is wel-qualified to-
make suggestions. Tomorrow the recommends
tions of the Audit Company of Hawaii, which un-
der the authorization of the senate holdover
committee exposed the corrupt Mcguire system,
will probably be presented to the senate. They
will contain also some excellent suggestions.
The attorney general has already begun prep
arations for criminal prosecutions, and these
will involve not only the submission of evidenced
as to the juggling of the county books, but also
as to the relations of the First Bank of Hilo with
-Maguire and ':the system" 1t is unfair until all
the facts are known to pass judgment on the ac-
stions of the bank officials or any of them. They
regarded their business with the county as pri-
yate business. However, when criminal proseclI-
tions are under way, the bank officials may yeryd
property, under subpoenas, produce their books
and make complete explanations and this GER
tainly is to he expected.
1t sometimes takes scandal to produce a re-
form We have the scandal. How about the re-
form?