Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-10-08
GRAFT PROBE
REPORT GOES
TO PINkHAM
Drastic Changes in Hawaii
County. Government are
Called For
COMMISSION SUMMARIZES
WORK, PROPOSES eHA AnGES
Points Out Weakness ID Gov
eminent Structure; Recon-
mends Striking Remedies

A review of more tnan years work.
in probing Hawail county graft, q
statement summarizing Hawaii county
finances from July 1. 1905, to March
81, 1913, and reconcillng tremendous
mass Of confused data and conflicting
statistics, and recommendations for
what amounts to a revolution In the
form of Hawaii county government =
these are the salient features Of re-
port presented to Governor Pinkham
today by the Hawaii County Investiga-
ton Commission.
The iong-awaited report Of the COM
mission has at last arrived and shows
that the three commissioners, DIT. II.
3. Elliot Of Hilo, William Williamson
and E. A. C. Long OF Honolulu. have
not only Strengthened out the appar.
emily hopeless financial tangle Of Ha-
waii county but have evolved q scheme
for better government that. presents
many striking aspects.
Commissioned Williamson presented
the report to the governor this morn.
iig. The chief executive acceded to
the request OF Star-Bulletin reporter,
who appeared at his office Q few min
utes later, to permit its immediate re-
lease for publication, saying he had
not yet read 1t himself but was VIII.
ing the public should have the priyi-
lege OF reading It at the same time that
he does.
Salient Features.
Here are some of the big features
summarized:
The discrepancy between the county
auditors and county treasurer,s state.
ment Is brought down to S53.4S.
The amount Of s46,257.45 Is shown
to have been recovered to Hawaii
county.
About $4,000 more may reasonably
be expected to be recovered.
County. act is declared unsatisfac.
tory for county Of Hawaii.
Officials are shown to have been
either grafters or weak.
Waste Of money Is pointed out.
Failure to examine properly books Of
county proved.
New County Government.
Radical changes In county govern.
ment are urged. These include:
Division OF Island Of Hawaii into
seven districts = Puma, South HiIo,
North Hilo, Hamakua, KohaIa. Kona
and Kau-each district to elect q board
Of local oyerseers, each boards chair.
man to be q member Of the county
board Of supervisors.
Board Of supervisors, under propOs-
ed system, to appoint county clerk,
treasurer, attorney, engineer and two
sheriffs, one for each judicial district
on the island
Suggestion Of a territorial civil ser.
vice commission 70 have Jurisdiction
over all public officers In Hawaii, sus-
eeptible to the application Of civil Ser.
vice rules.
The commission urges law abso-
lutely prohibiting local authorities
from spending public money in antici-
patton and In advance Of getting the
revenue
Bureau Of Accounts. 81
Strong emphasis - laid upon the
adyisahiIity Of forming territorial
bureau Of accounts. On this. point the
commission recommends the expand
Ing OF the territorial bureau of &C
counts, and In part recommends:
The present methods IN use II The
county Of Hawaii have failed Ianentab-
y. in every purpose OF municipal &C.
They have failed TO check
Or discover dishonesty and wasteful
ness; they have failed TO supply super
tisors and officials with accurate and
statements that are abs0-
utely essential To the proper conduct
II public business; they have failed
b equip the citizen with, knowledge
IT the facts OF government tat is in-s