Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-11-17
FeEmsr e0serng Dec ares elly
fnsaslHef ms No AulhoFliy
% Borrow paY-B0,l Money
from eanks Fern Declines
% nakf me Communication
Ptblic
MCCARTHY SAYS THERE IS
A MISUNDERSTANDING
Treasurer Explains That War
rants Are cashed and Held
by Financial institutions Un-
oil Funds Are Forthcoming, 5
Per Cent Being Allowed

Drawing attention to what he says
Is disregard by City and County
Treasurer Mccarthy In borrowing
money from, local banks to tide over
municipal stringeucies, Former Gov
ernor George r. Carter today wrote
an open letter to Mayor Fern. Vigor-
ously criticising the arrangement to
meet last Saturdays city payroll and
previous arrangements of similar
kind. - ~ --s,essz .>.. ="
In the same letter Mr.. Carter draws
attention TO the fact that last week he
found three county. wagons busily en-.
gagged In hauling dirt from Pawaa
lot TO fill a side-alley leading to the
home of Thomas j. Kennedy. recently
appointed road oyerseer. ..<tE
The man In the street would like
to hear an explanation of these things,
and he lis entitled to II from the public
officials, said Mr.. Carter today: = =
The letter follows:
Hon. j. ]. Fern, Mayor City and
County OF Honolulu, City.
Dear Sir: When high public of
ficials refuse TO do that which the
Jaw provides for, they unconscious.y
prepare the ground for a harvest of
graft. The line OF duty betweep>
right and wrong then becomes NAT
ter OF individual opinion, and the low
er public officials naturally begin to
do as they please. The testimony or
convicted grafters rarely shows up a.
man who deliberately Intended to do
wrong. They simply have lost their
sense of judgment and slslld denly find
their ideas differ from those of the
courts.
s'Now, j think citizen who winks
at frregularitIes has little cause to
kick over losses due to embezzlement
or its prosecution, and q citizen who
is Indifferent does not do his full
duty. Hence these questions TO you,
the official head OF the city and coun-
ty government 80 .. -. - =. >.
Asks Exclamation s.s. 4 II. ]
..Can yeu, or those officials more
directly responsible. explain pnblieiy
how the county treasurer all by him
self can quietly borrow, money from
the banks, as stated In the local
press, In the face of the fact that In |
constructing our county government
no such power was granted2 r. i
''The bank may conceive IL evidence
of local patriotism TO help the county |
cut for q consi ideratioTl, or Its attor- |
ney may give a favorable legal opin. |
ion witch differs from that of other
attorneys. But the fact remains that I
the county has no powers beyond /
those given BY the people, and as the
people usually desire to know all !,
about their own affairs so they pro- !
vided in detail Just what they wanted |
done when there was no cash in the
treasury. See s. L. 1907. Act III,
Secs. 99-104. tSee sections quoted be.
low s}.-. T. t
Do those who make other arrange :.
ments for financing the county thing
their disapproTal of the plan provided
O justification fer setting it aside? r
I'VE are so accustomed to condoae
offenses that presume many would
think it unfair to appeal to the courts,
and on favorable decision force the
banks to lose these advances even if
there was no misuse of the money. 81
Again, how can we expect subordi-
nate, and minor officials to fully do
their duty regardless of their own
opinion when they see certain bank
ers and the city treasurer get around
The plain intent Of the county act?
How About This?
And finally, can you tell me why
when three. county. wagons, six county
mules. and three drivers (whose ,
names have) are engaged in hauling
6irt to fill a little side alley off Ena ;
road, which leads into the rear of
the assistant county road sIpcrin-
tendents residence: Why. ask.
should they dump any of that filing
in the yard of that county Cff;cial2
And why should the superintendent
Of the stable at Kakaako give EN-
ployment to a water-cart driver when
there is no street-watering needed by ;
sending him out to spread the dirt
around the other officials back yard
and the insignificant alley? To the,
man in the street these transactions {
seem odd and II there is a satisfac-
-ory explanation, he needs it. Surely {
these instances do not illustrate the
lind of administration the Democratic {
.ar1y promised the voters. Nor do {
hey inspire confidence?
''yeSy sincerely yours.
&c R. CARTER"
How the Law Reads
The sections in the session laws of t