Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-13
PUBLICITY SAFEGUARD

function of any republican # I'll Of government
municipal, tcrI'!Dl ILL., state or nalionaI,- as
poicnS sanitation. roai-huiILiny or anything
else
j. Publicity in public affairs is protection
against ineffic,ncy, Eruption graft ana Job
berry 1t is just as important TO protect Homo
lulu against irefficicncy as against thugs and
thieves; just as necessary TO safeguard publ,
funds az /" safeguard health; ir!%t as wise tc
eliminate possibility If grafI az to eliminate bad
roads; just as essential t. p'c1nt obs being put
through by trick Legislation rs jobs Lem" put
through by bribery
Ii it isn't, The whole argument fer publicity
falls to the ground. But il is necessary. it is int
portant it is essential that the people know what
their elected officials doing, and there is not
acity in the United States but realizes this fact
The morning paper editoralIy argues against
the official publication Of resolutions calling fol
appropriations of money, we'll as ordinances
and mayors proclanations, and suggests instead
that a brief notice of such documents should bc
published with the statement that the complete
bill can be obtained from the city clerk. The
Advertiser calls the present SYSTEM "legalized
waste Of money
The morning paper may be willing to call the
advertising Of "bys authority" notices in it's col
uInns a waste of money, but the Star-Rulletin
has no such opinion of its own advertising col
utnns. This papers declaration that its adYcr-
tisng pays, that it gives value for value received
is b0na-fide declaration Moreover, we regard
the publication of municipal affairs a funda-
mentally sound proposition. 1t is quite easy to
impute interested motives to any newspaper that
declares its faith i'm such matters, But the Star
Bulletin wishes to say, here and now, that it
stands for efficiency in city affairs, as it always
has, regardless of selfinterest or attempted out
side influence. This paper is quite willing to
talk over fairly and frankly with the city Off
cials any legitimate plan they. may have for
greater efficiency in city affairs, and just
as willing that the new board of supervisors take
up impartially the matter of city printing. The
Star Bulletin knows that when "by authority
notices are published in its columns, the affairs
of the city are given due and thorough publicity
in thousands of homes where otherwise much of
the course Of municipal legislation could not be
followed by the taxpayers.
And Oh the general propostion,-t system
ttC puulicIly III CITY UusiIIecS Is cSSeHtld
is not even room for arugment One of the dis
coreres Of the progressivists in municipal re-
form has been that the city has to carry publicity
I to the people. And every progressive city nova
days aims to give the people, at municipal ex-
pense, a thorough idea of what the city is doing
and trying to do.
# To publish brief notice that suchandsuch a
bill has been passed and that one may read it at
the clerks office is anything but necessary pub
licity. Not one man in twenty-five would 60 to
the clerks office, even supposing that he had the
leisure hours during the time when municipal
offices are open.
The Star Bulletin does not believe that Homo
lulu has to watch its public officials with any
sort of detective surveillance. This city is fortu
nate in possessing many public servants Of high
personal character. But we dc know that the city
officials themselves ought to be the first to con-
denim any system that will allow the least slls-
picion of underLand work to arise. or that will
allow any chance for taxpayer to charge that
any legislation has been ''railrOaded through "
CITY officials ought to insist and in progressive
cities they do insist on complete publicity for
their official acts, just city treaSurrr~ insist
on complete auditing of their books by a trained
accountant outside their own offices.
Publicity is the best safeguard tn" peopI" of
Honolulu can have for Clean efficient, progress
sive government in this city. The Star-Rullrtin
knows whereof it speaks in saying that many
>moderny administered cities requi1" much more