Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-19

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should. as far as possible. be confined
10 reyenue-producing objects. such as
water and sewer works and wharves.
which are referred to more fully I'M
der the heading Public Works"
Belt Roads
A large percentage OF the recent
issues was for county belt roads Ad-
diticnal sums are required for com
pleting those roads. hut these should
not be provided for. at least at pres.
ent, out of territorial bond issues and
perhaps not at present even out of
county bond issues. There was
greater need two years ago for the
construction of certain sections of
these roads than there is now for
constructing other sections, and at
that time the territorial bonded in
debtedness was much smaller than 1t
is at present II seems best in order
to meet the immediate needs that
they should be provided for out of ter
ritorial bonds. because those bonds
could be sold at better prices and
lower rates of interest than county
bonds. because provision could in that
case be made for q more economical
expenditure of the proceeds through
territorial supervision. and because
the sinking fund for the bonds could
be utilized by the territory in pay
ing off earlier territorial bonds In
stead of being allowed to accumulate
with danger OF loss, which could not
be done by the counties in case they
had issued the bonds as there were no
earlier county bonds. Now. however,
the need Is not so pressing and the
territorial bonded indebtedness Is
larger and may in the near future
have to be made larger still to meet
urgent territorial needs The terri
torial z per cent limit of Indebtedness
should not be exhausted for the coun-
ties, leaving the latter with their 3
per cent still to be used by them and
the territory without further means to
borrow for itself.
Again, roads are not revenue-pro-
ducing. On the contrary, they entail
great and continuous expense for
Unless they are proper
". kept up they viii not last the life
Of the bonds issued for their con-
Until there is ample as
surance that they viii be well cared
for it would be improyident in rs and
unjust to those who are to follow to
incur further Indebtedness for this
purpose. We should not squander the
substance of our successors In lavish
expenditures and neglect to preserve
for them what we are to enjoy and
they are to pay for. The promotion
Of good road construction and main
is subject that Is now re-
ceiving wide attention on the main
land. Many states are creating state
highway commissions To assist the
local authorities with Information. adj
vice. and peculiarly contributions
recommend tlat unless q satisfactory
statute can be enacted on this sub
ject at the present session commits
sion be provided for -ffvestigate-
the matter and report in time for
action by the next legislature. and
that meanwhile the counties be left
10 expend the remainder of the loan
appropriations already made and such
Of their current revenues as they can
spare for this purpose.
POLITICAL
Reapp0rti0nnlent Of Senators and
Representatives.
The Organic Act Of the territory
provides, in section SIS, that .the leg
stature, at its first regular session af-
ter the census enumeration shall be
and from time to time
shall reapportion the MEM
Dership in the senate and house Of
representatives among the senatorial
and representative districts on the ba-
sis of the population in each of said
districts who are citizens Of the terri
.ory. The attention Of the last legis-
ature, which was the first after the
asst census, was called to this provi-
sion in my general message to that
legislature, with a statement that the
showing the number Of
citizens in each senatorial and repre-
sentative district had not then been
and later in the session l.
submitted in a special message the
,equired tabulations. which the direct
,r of the census had expedited with a
rev to enabling action to be taken at
hat session in compliance with this
provision of the Organic Act. The
natter received much attention, but
inal action was not taken before the
lose of the session. Hence, your at
ention is now called to it.
Civil Service.
The advantages of the merit system
Ire so obvious that it ought not to be
i matter of argument. 1t means the
selection of officers in public service,
Is in private service, upon grounds of
illness rather than upon extraneous
considerations. 1t promotes efficiency
~ affording that sense OF security and
lope of promotion which enables off
.ers to devote their undivided atten-
ion to their public duties and inspires
hem to do their best 1t helps to
eliminate from politics the baneful in
luenees of job-chasing and efforts at
lolftical control for Interior purposes
ts experienced results and the move
nent for more businesslike methods in
,uDnc administration is leading to its
extension in nation, state and
ocal governments on the mainland.
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