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

Systematic publicity is Just as important {;
function of any republican, f'rn Of government
municipal, territorial. state or nairuaI,--; as
policng sanitation. roaG-IuilIjEY Ct anything
else
Publicity in public affairs is projection
against inrfficcncy, &C Iruptun graft and lob
berry. 1t is Just as important to protect Homo
lulu against incfficirncy as against thugs and
thieves; Just as necessary to safeguard public
funds as safeguard hCAIth; uSt aS wise tC
eliminate possibility & graft dis to eliminate bad
roads; just ~ essential t" prevent jobs b ing put
through by trick Iesi<lati'n as jobs being put
through by bribery. H.. =
If it isn't, the whole argument roi, publicity
falls to the ground. bu! it is NECESSARY, it is JIM
portant it is essential that thespeoplc know what
their elected officials ar, doing and there is not
q city in the United States but realizes this fact
The morning paper editorally argues against
the official publication Of resolutions calling for
appropriations of money, as well as ordinances
and mayors proclamations, and suggests instead
that a brief notice of such documents should be
published with the statement that the complete
bill can be obtained from the city clerk The
Advertiser calls the present system Il "legaliul
waste Of money"
The morning paper may be willing to call the
advertising of "by authority notices in it's col
unins waste of. money, but the Star Bulletin
has no such opinion of its own advertising col.
Hmns This papers declaration that its adver-
Using pays that it gives value for value received,
Is a bona ide declaration. Moreover, we regard
the publication of municipal affairs as a funda-
mentally sound proposition. 1t is quite easy to
inpute interested motives to any newspaper that
declares lis faith in such matters. But the Star
Bulletin wishes to say, here and nov, that ii
stands for efficiency in city affairs, 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
Gals any legitimate plan they may have for
greater efficiency in city affairs and We are 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 on the general proposition, system
attic publicity in city business is Essential there
{ is not even room for arugrnent. One of the dis
coveries Of the progressivists in municipal re-
form has been that the city has to carry publicity
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 dim !
To publish a brief notice that such-and-such 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 go 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 sus-
picion of underhand work to arise, or that will
allow any chance for a taxpayer to charge that
any legislation has been "raiIroaded through"
City officials ought to insist, and in progressive
cities they do insist, on complete publicity for
their official acts, just city treasurcrS insist
on complete auditing of their books by trained
accountant outside their own offices.
Publicity is the best safeguard the people of
Honolulu can have for clean, efficient, progress
sve government in this city. The Star Bulletin
knows whereof it speaks i'll saying that many
Lit