Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-02-09
Tire ROAD DEPARTMENT SCANDAL

The read department scandal uncovered by
the StarDulIctin last Friday and Saturday
places the board of supervisors in Il serious Pc
sition.
An ugly MESS Of department politics has been
revealed Whether or not the charge Of hui
OF loan-sharks operating in the department is
true, whether or not the charge of "bInd-pig
run by employees Qf the department is true, the
situation is sufficiently offensive to the tax
payer.
II the charges above are not true, then the
wholesale disInissals of road officials must be
due to petty politics. If the charges are true
the situation could only have arisen through the
workings of politics and political favOritsm.
What are the supervisors going to do about
itq z $3.50
Will they continue tosdeny the lazincss and
inefficiency Of the road department? Possibly.
That is a fayorite method of some of the super.
visors when faults in the city administration are
called to their attention -
In the light of these revelations OF politics,
Decentralization and DISCRIMINATION of the road
department., is it any wonder that the road Ia
borers have been giving, during the last twelve
months, such splendid exhibition of how to loaf
for eight hours day? Is it any wonder that
road-work is costing the city such immense sums
with such comparatively insignificant results?
The truth is that under the present board IF
supervisors the road department been run large
Isl on spoils basis J. j. Smiddy, former road
0verseer, found this ont when he attempted to
hire and fire men according to their efficiency.
His successor, Thomas L. Kennedy, makes the
same allegation IA H*rtf , .
The last board of supervisors was blamed for
many things, but certainly there was never such
a subordination of road department efficiency
to politics as there has been under the present
board. j w. CALDWELL now superintendent of
public works, was then road orerseer Once ant
only once did any of the supervisors try to
take advantage of political power to play favor
ties in the department. That was in the case of
an employee discharged for laziness. Caldwell
took determined stand and the supervisors re-
spected him for it and backed him UP. From
that time ON there was no attempt to meddlc
with his department.
The two road overseers under the present
board tell an entirely different tale They de-
clare that favoritism has held sway in the de-
partment and to this lay the obviously ineffect-
i've and costly results. Mayer Fern is also
blamed for much. Of the peanut politics pcr,neat-
ing the department. ~ ~ y
What will the supervisors do? 81 =
They have acted promptly in calling for the
designations of several, officials and employees
held responsible for the conditiontof near-graft
just uncovered. 1t remains to be seen whether
this action is sincere-whether they are getting
rid of Incompetent men or merely playing moro
politics. The Star-Bulletin believes that the SUI
peryisors are trying to clean up this ugly blot on
their record, and their efforts deserve support
A clean sweep of the inccmpetcnts is needed
But the blot can only be permanently cleaned
up If the road-department is forever raised
above the level of political fccdtrough. ..