Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-10-08
GRAFT PROBE
hEPORT GOES
TO PINkHAM
Drastic Changes in Hawaii
County Government are
Called For
COMMISSION SUMMARIZES
WORK, PROP P0SES CHANGES
Points Out Weakness in Gov
ernment Structure; Recon-
mends Striking Remedies S

A review Of more tnan years work,
in probing Hawaii county graft,
statement summarizing Hawaii county
finances from I1ly /. 1905, to March
81, 1918, and reconciling tremendous
mass Of confused data and conflicting
statistics, and recommendation for
what amounts to revolution in the
form OF Hawaii county government -
these are the salient features Of q re-
port presented TO Governor Pinkham
today by the Hawaii County Investiga-
ton Commission.
The long-awaited report OF the com.
mission has at last arrived and shows
that the three commissioners, Dr. II.
b. Elliot Of Hilo, William Williamson
and e. A. c. Long Of Honolulu, have
not only Strengthened out the appar-
emily hopeless financial tangfe Of Ha-
waii county but have evolved scheme
for better goEernmenf that PRESENTS
many striking aspects
Commissioner Williamson presented
the report to the governor this morn
ing. 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 Will
ing the public should have the privi-
lege Of reading 1t ut 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 10 brought down to e53.48.
The amount Of $46,257.45 is shown
to have been recovered to Hawaii
county.
About $25. 1000 more may reasonably
be expected to be recovered.
County act IL declared unsatisfac-
tory for county Of Hawaii.
Officials are shown to have been
either grafters or weak.
Waste Of money Is pointed out.
Fafluresto 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 Hilo.
North Hilo, Hamakua, Kohala, KonR
and Kau-each district to elect a board
OF local overseers. each boards chair
man to be member Of the county
board Of supervisors.
Board Of supervisors, under propos-
ed system, to appoint county clerk,
treasurer, attorney. engineer and two
one for each judicial district
on the island.
Suggestion Of territorial civil ser.
vice commission 20 have Jurisdiction
over all public officers in Hawaii. sus-
ceptible to the application Of civil ser.
vice rules.
The commission urges law abso-
Iutely prohibiting local authorities
from spending public money in antici-
patton and in advance OF getting the
revenue.
Bureau Of Accounts.
Strong emphasis is laid upon the
advisability of forming a 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 In the
county Of Hawaii have failed Iamentab-
ly in every purpose Of municipal ac-
counting. They have failed to check
or discover dishonesty and wasteful
ness; they have failed to supply super.
visors and officials with accurate and
statements that are abso-
lutely, essential to the proper conduct
Of public business; they have failed
TO equip the citizen with knowledge
Of the facts of government that is In.