Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-18
FEBRUARY Is, 1913
One hOr1, Of experience is rorth rholc teil.
dcrncSS Of Wdfning.-James Russell Lowell.
A CHANGE DEMANDED

Advocates of the short-balo; q, elective com
mission fOrpl Ct government for IiGnolulu will
have to make strong showing t. the legislature
that opens tomorrow before the legislature will
move for such a radical change in the municipal
system. Such at least is the present outlook
Legislators arriving from the other islands
manifest not only considerable unct rtainty as to
just what Honolulu is asking but also consider
able doubt as to the wisdom of any change at
this time. 1t is up to the special charter COM
mittee to put in some hard work for the next
sixty days, and the subcommittee ON legislation
will not have an easy time convincing Republic
ans of the outside islands, not to speak of the
Democratic Legislators.
AT the beginning OF the legislature there is
evident a strong inclination on the part Of a
number of influential members from the ether
islands TO pass the responsibility for the change
back to the electors of Honolulu themselves
And this is not at all an unfortunate condition
Home rule for cities that are large enough to de-
serve the title Of cities is the ideal rule. Homo
lulu has been FESTIVE for years under the quasi
guardianship of the territory The city has
shown an increasing desire to govern its own af
fairs That desire is at the bottom of those pro-
visions in the proposed new charter which give
the city authority over waterworks, sewers and
ether utilities. As matter Of efficiency as well
as of convenience, Honolulu should not have to
call upon the territory for legislation that right
fully should be handled as city ordinances.
Some of the members of the Legislature from
other islands argue that Honolulus form of gov
eminent is SO peculiarly and completely the con
Germ Of this city alone that the proposed new
charter should he submitted to the people Of Ho
MOULIN in a pltbscite referendum vote, and
this is quite likely to be the sense of the legisla
turc. The Democratic minority is certain to de-
mand some such plan. And the Democratic mi
nority, together with Republicans from outside
islands, constitutes majority sufficient to put
the plan through.
There will be some opposition to any change
from the present system to a short-ballot system
That is to be expected However, those members
of the Legislature from other islands who are just
coming for the 1913 session will soon realize that
the demand for change, the demand for sim
pier, more economical, more directly responsible
sort of city government, is not a partisan de-
mand Hundreds of Republican votes we're cast
ON this island for Democrats last fall for the
frank and Outspoken reason that hundreds OF
Republicans were thus protesting against intol-
erably wasteful and inefficient local government
The very form of that government has helped to
perpetuate certain temporarily popular but weak
and inefficient men in office.
To ignore the plain lesson of last fall is to ig-
more, to defeat the demand of the people for a
government run on more busnesslike principles.
This demand has taken shape in the proposal for
an elective commission government 1t is now
up to the Legislature.