The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-06-17
GRAF TIERS TOOK
EVERYTHING
IN SIGHT

tigaiion of the county finances, which
he is now conducting, it will be far
more interesting, important and com
prehensive than most people imagine.
Field is conducting the audit with the
utmost care, and as a consequence he
Is. constantly tprning up new phases of
graft. Some of these are just where
those familiar with the county situa
ton expected that crookedness would
be found but others are entirely new,
and have probably never been known
of, except to those who were respon-
sible for them.
The main trail of the investigation,
with the qualifications which branch
directly therefrom, will cover a large
field. 1t is, of course, impossible at
this time to give out anything pub
l;cly in regard to what is being found
here. 1t must suffice for the present
to say that Field has in his hands the
KEY to the road department graft,
which he is now using zealously. 1t
is possible, already at this time, to
state just how much certain officials
have gotten away with, and the
amounts, as was the case with the
police payroll graft, far exceed even
what popular suspicion imagined
There are certain gentlemen who would
rest pretty uneasily if they knew what
Field has found.
While these important discoveries
must remain secret for the present,
until they can" be worked out with
more detail, Field is able to give out
informal on with regard to several in
teresting financial peculiarites which
he has run across in his work so far.
In June. 1907, the roads and inter
nal improvements committee of the
board of supervisors took little jun
ket around the island, accompanied by
the county clerk, who was then Sam
Pua. That was before the days of
luxurious travelling in automobiles, and
the best the market, could afford was
n tallyho. SO the supervisors engaged
talyhc from the Volcano Stables and
paid contract price of 5000 for trans
portation, in this vehicle for the ten or
twelve days consumed by the trip.
after the claim had been duly passed
ly the board and the expenditure au.
thori2ed. All of which was very plain
early ip August. ,.,,, al
Nv fVtNIuus4 .tOHDtCLtl
With tits affair was discovered by
Cooling Field when he looking over
the Variants for June, 1907, when he
found that a waffaht had been issued
tt'chthf of the Supervisors who partici.
fateIliin the trip and one to the county
blfrk. Thesed warrants were for $4S.60
each, for mileage for, 436 miles. AS
q matter of fact the warrants read:
''For services rendered as mileage -
80 Now there are several very interest
ling features about these, warrants. The
claims show that the AMOUNTS were for
ten cents q mile mileage As. a matter
of fact, the distance around the island
is only about 230 miles, and there was
no tallyho here that could travel at
the rate of over forty miles a day for
ten or twelve days over the roads on
tliis island, especially as they were
then. Furthermore, there was no legal
claim for mileage, as the cost of trans
portation was paid in the 5000 pay
ment made to the Volcano Stables. In
addition to this, all other expenses,
such as entertainment, food and so
forth, incidental to the trip were paid
in separate warrants. Finally, the
mileage warrants were issued and paid
before the trip was undertaken.
Another rather interesting little dis
covery which can ba Given out at tb;s
time is one connected with. the pur.
chase of postage stamps. 1t seems that
no opportunities were oyerlooked and
even SO insionificant a 6eId az that
Uttered by postape STAMPS was NOT de.
spised.
~ Thus Field has found that on .July
y, 1907. the board of supervisors ari.
thorized the payment of $2S 40 fo,
nostaGe STAMPS and hoy rent Auditor
Mcguire issued a warrant ON lime 10
in favor of Postmaster George Dosba
No author zation was made nv The
board for JuIv. as tho amount mr.
chased in. ,June was suficient for tb,
two months. but nevertheless tho rec
ords show that Mapuire issued war
rant for stamps to himself. dated July
%. 1907, fer $25. which he casbed him
self - -
On August 3. 1907 the hoard of en-
pervisors authorized the issuance of :
warrant in favor of Postmaster Dash.
for s25 hit no warrant annears nm tb,
records in favor of Desha The record,
40 show. however, that a warrant wa,
issued on Auoust IA IN cover ,b,
.nomount, lby, ,it, .yas .;ssped for $40 anl
was I'M favor of Magu;re
Further on the record shows that NJ
November 7. 1907. the hoard author
lied the issuance of warrant in fayo,