The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-12-12
AUTHORITY Of
SUPERVISORS
QUESTIONED
Civil Service Commission Throws
Down Gauntlet to City Solons
and Insists That Expenses Can
Not Be Limited to $500; Invites
Board TO Have Problem Tested
in Territorial Supreme Court.

Throwing down the gauntlet to the
board of supervisors, the civil service
commission yesterday addressed a com.
munication to the board setting forth
its stand in connection with the ex-
penses of the commission and suggest.
ing that the question involved be'sub-
mitted to the supreme court of the Ter
ritory for adjudication
In its reply the commission accen-
tuates its belief that its knowledge of
the appropriation of $500 for expenses
does not waive our right to certify
to the city and county all expenses in
connection with the rules and regula-
tions as well as the expenses incurred
by the examination held under said
rules and regulations
Also the commission states that il
does not agree with Opinion No. 20,
' III regard to the powers of this com.
mission made by Deputy City Attor-
ncy Weaver, and adds
we maintain that the Act, by i'm
plication, does give to this commission
the control of, and the supervision over
the conduct of the employees in both
departments, the purpose of civil SER
vice reform being, as stated above, the
promotion of efficiency which purpose
would be frustrated by any successful
attempt to curtail the powers of the
commission, - says the civil service
commission.
City Attorney Weaver and the reports
of the committee on ways and means
of the board, which criticized the com
mission and denied it the right to ex-
ceed the appropriation of the board,
the commission says:
Studied Mainland Laws.
"This report deals with the expendi.
lures incurred by your commission, and
in tone and tenor seems to tend to
discourage the activity of your com
mission by financial restrictions. Prac-
tically every Act creating a civil ser
Wee commission-and we have made a
Sairly cOmprehensiye. .Stttly gf a num-
Der Of civil service 1NWs on |the main
land anticipates such financial restric-
tions, either on the whole or with re-
gard to the more salient, rather life
features of civil service reform.
The commission proceeds to quote
the acts applicable and then goes ON
TO say:
Some time ago your commission
learned incidentally through its secre.
tary-who is also in his official capacity
rs city and county clerk the recording
secretary of your board-ot the appro-
priation of 5000 ms a fund for inciden-
cal expenses of this commission. Meth.
er at that time nor at any time since
has your commission regarded this APP
preparation as being anticipatory of,
and applicable towards defraying the ex-
penses your commission would have in
connection with the preparation of
rules and regulations and with the
holding of examinations, and con
times as quoted above as to its right
to certify expenses to the board
Gives Resume of Expenses.
Then the commission gives a resume
of the expenses in preparing the rules
and regulations and for examiners for
fitness IN the evil service examinations,
including the items of typewriting,
5000; printing, $2SI; three examiners
$50; stationery, $s4; copy of Session
Laws, $780, and filing cabinets and
more stationery, $22.l5.
OF aIl>>these items the commission
holds that only that for the filing cabi-
nets can properly apply to the appro-
priation of 5000 made by the board.
Continuing the communication says:
1.-The commission never felt that it
had any right to make recommenda-
tions to the board of supervisors in the
sense expressed in Report No. 43O as
well as in Opinion No. 70, and the
views of the commission in this re-
spect were clearly expressed at the
time in the remarks prefacing the rec
concentrations in question. Since the
matter has been mooted, however, the
commission upon further study believes
that the Civil Service Act implies clear
" dnty for the commission to point
ont any conditions existing in either
department tending to retard efficiency,
as the purpose of the Act is the promo.
tion of eiliciency.N t.r.H t..
Then it fails to agree with Mr.. Wea.
yer's opinion and asks that the entire
matter he Submitted to the court.
60