Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-10-12
A MOVE FOR A NEW CITY CHARTER.

Some real progress toward better city
charter should come from the efforts Of the
Municipal Research Club. In its brief exist
ence, this club has already won the devoted
energies of large number of Honolulu pub
lic-spirited men who do things without making
much noise about Ii. The club has taken hold
of the charter question and hopes to get this
question before the thoughts of the voters dur
ing the next few months
a good while prior to the legislature of 1913,
Governor Frear named charter revision COM
mittee Of twenty five. This committee did a
great deal of work, had many meetings, much
profitable discussion and then somehow failed
to get over the punch that would have
brought the subject up before the legislature.
The effort, after a fine start, somehow Just
faded away. It is not even certain just where
much Of the valuable material gathered by the
committee has been left. When it is unearthed,
the Research Club hopes to begin with the con-
illusions of the old committee as working
basis
The Research Club members who have the
subject Of new charter in hand realize that
no individual nor set Of men can arbitrarily
draw up new charter and expect the peo-
pie to adopt It without plenty Of public dis
cussion and consideration. Systematic pub
Lefty is to be given the club Is work for bet
ter charter If these men can secure as they
certainly should be able to secure the interest,
attention and cooperation of candidates for
municipal and legislative Office at this cam
paign, they hope to get some presentation Of
the matter from the stump
Il is recognized that the present city char
tex can Be improved upon without sacrificing
any Of its essential features Of local selfgo
trnmeDt Iii fact the lines proposed for the
new charter with the short ballot features,
give the electorate stronger control over the
officials than at present obtains for under the
short ballot form Of municipal government re
sponsibility is centralized in few elected Off
Gals and blame for sins Of omission or com
from one to the other.
The charter revision committee appointed by
Governor Freaf reached the conclusion that
tie city manager plan was the most de- /
.'l6bIe The Research Club starts out with no
|Ieco1ceired ideas on the subject except the
IDEAS Of individual members. It may or may
IS. endorse the city-manaeer plan. That plan
seems to be getting results IN those cities Of the
mainland where Il has been tried
Opposition is to be expected from certain
class Of professional politicians who see in city
government nothing but opportunities for ex-
r|oiIation for building up political machines
based on the distribution Of small jobs anongl
b large number Of voters A less active but
more important opposition is to be expected
from those who know nothing Of the modern
led forms Of city government and the benefits
that have incidentally been secured thereby
This latter opposition may be removed BY In
ielieent public discussion Of the ISSUE by pub
Lefty. BY real effort to reach the voters Of
whatever nationality.
The campaign for a new charter may take
one year or two years or three years, but there
IS every prospect that ultimately it will be sue
oessful. Even those who have no particular
idea in mind for new charter admit that thel
present municipal structure has painful draw
backs. It allows evasion of responsibility IN a
marked degree; it gives the mayor no authority
Il sneak Of; the various departments are bound
together but loosely. It is patchwork added
Is bv every Legislature, according to political
sxirency or political maneuvering. A changel
s. desirable. A changeris to the interest Of
exerx resident and particularly Of every tax
payer.
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