Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-19
QUESTIONS
HON eSteGding
Matters Giuen
Much Attention
In Long Report
By Chief Execu-
tue


tue
local elections. which Is difficult.
when a partisan territorial election n
held at the same time. Local govern
ment has become so important . fac
tor In the problem OF the public well
fare. both IN It's cost to the people and
in the extent and closeness with
which Il touches them at every turn.
that It's issues and the officers who
are to determine its policies should
thus invoke the widest interest n
them. II the local elections should Be
held In the spring, Il would incidents
ally make the county fiscal year corre-
spond with the territorial desIr-
able change which Is referred 20 else
where In this message II Il IL deemed
best that the elections should Be held
In the fall, the territorial and local
elections could be held In alternate
years.
Direct Primaries.
Hawaii early adopted the Australian
ballot system and passed Z corrupt
practices act. the latter Of which might
well be extended. and the last leEIsIn-
ture provided for permanent regis
tration Of voters IN place Of the pre-
vious biennial registration. These are
not sufficient. however. to insure The
full benefits Of popular government.
The Australian ballot system No1
intended to secure by means 81 sec.
recy true expression Of the voters
at elections, but experience has shown
that the anticipated results cannot -
fully realized 90 long as the choice e
the polls Ii limited 10 candidates -
lected largely BY fractional interests
through the convention machinery Tor
nominations. Consequently the a.
rect primary Ia being widely adopted
for the purpose Of securing IN nom
nations the same safeguards and ffee-
dom Of expression that the Australian
ballot system Ii intended to secure n
elections.
partisan. The partisan primary 4 Z
preliminary election within each party
for the purpose Of securing q the
party members and effective YoIc& -
The nomination Of the party ca0|I-
dates, just as the Australian ballot
system Il designed similarly 70 sec'I6
the rights OF all the voters IRE.
spective OF party in the f'n1I election.
IT il not Intended T. "a Away With
parties. on the contrary. Il tends 70
knit each party more firmly to@n[n.f
and increase IL HirilIfY " InCI...'..
interest Of the. members Ii 4 " X..
ing that interest more effective [
Is designed to substitute the party (1F
the machine and the responsible lead
er for the responsible boss. This
Is the kind Of primary that n usually
adopted by the states Tor national and
state affairs. Cor which parties ere
generally believed to be not only use
ful but even necessary.
The non-partisan primary. hoWeyer.
Is preliminary election for the nom
nation Of all candidates By Ell Yot-
ers irrespective Of party with view
to eliminating state and national poll.
tics from local elections and oonlInine
the latter TO local questions, which
should be dealt with as business nat
ters without regard TO state or nation
al politics. This Il coming 10 be
adopted very generally for local ele..-
tons. A number Of cities are nov
adopting valuable modification % Il,
which was introduced few years ago
BY the city of Berkeley. California. By
this, IL any candidate receives q ma
jority Of the votes at q primary cleo
ton, that election Is deemed 10 be the
regular election as to that candidate
and he Is declared elected. the sec
only as to candidates for offices FOR
which no candidates received . ma
jority at the primary. This simplilies
and reduces the expense Of the regn-
lar election. A further improvement
is now being adopted by number Of
cities and seems likely to spread rap
idly. It is the system Of preferential
voting by which each voter indicates his
first, second and third and perhaps
other choices, so that II no candidate
a majority Of first choices,
1t can be easily ascertalned from the
second and other choices which Of
all the candidates 10 the choice Of q
majority Of the voters. II has the
advantages that 1t ID simple; that only
one election Is required In any case,
thereby saving inconvenience and en-
pense; that the choice Of the voters Is
more accurately ascertained and made
effective; that 1t prevents an election
by minority of the voters. so COM
mon under the present system; and
that 1t insures more complete nom
recommend the adoption Of the
partisan primary for the election OF
delegate to congress and for terrftori-
al elections and the preferential sys-
tenn of voting for all county and city
and county elections.
Local Government
Local government In Hawaii Is still
new and in the developing STAGE. The
first act, enacted In 1903, was held In
valid; the second, enacted IN 1905.
created counties; the. third, enacted
M 40 l. - 49,