The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1915-08-21
Howell as Engineer
Pau After August
New Engineer Ordinance Drafted
Howell Says Didn't Have Free Hand
in Kula WaterwOrkS.

After September l Maui county will
have a new county engineer. or else
no engineer at all, for at the meeting
of the supervisors on Tuesday the
resignation of Hugh Howell was ac-
cepted to TAX effect at that time. 1t
is rumored that successor to Howell
is to be named shortly, though if any
one has been definitely decided upon
the name has not been made public.
Mr.. Howell rendered his resignation
to the new board at it's first meeting
on July 1, but at the request of the
board continued in Office without the
resignation being acted upon until
this week At the time of making his
resignation Howell stated that condi-
tions were not satisfactory to him
self, and a number of radical changes
| in the matter of the placing of au-
thority, would have to be made should
he reconsider his intention to get out.
The board also passed at first read
| ing a new county engineer ordinance.
supplanting Ordinance 2S. The pro
| "Chief Overseer and County Engineer"
posed new law will create the Office of
this officer to be appointed by the
chairman OF the board, with the con-
/ sent of the board, and to have such
| duties and esponsibilities as may be
! delegated TO him by the chairman, as
! executive officer. Through the act OF
the last legislature, the powers of the
| chairman OF the board are now very
broad, and the engineer will be really
the deputy to carryout the duties OF
| the chairman. The draft of the pro
posed ordinance is published as a
'by-authority" notice in another part
| of this issue.
| Howell Defends Self.
Agreeing with the report of the com
mittee which investigated the condi
| ton of the Kula pipe line, as to the
| condition of the system and its ineffi
cient administration, Engineer Howell
at the meeting of the Board last Mon
day morning repudiated in toto the
sections in the report suggesting tha
he had been responsible for not clean
ing up the matter after he came int
office. He declared that he had al
ways felt that Alonzo Jackson wa'
not a man of sufficient caliber to holC
the Job of superintendent of the sys
TEN, and had wanted to replace hin
and make other changes, but had heel
prevented by the chairman and thu
board. He implied that the cause o
this interference was fear that /
would have a bad effect on the canGi
dacy of the members prior 20 tn
county election. Since the election, h
said, his power has been entirely sui
ordinate to the will of the chairman
Answering specifically concerning tn
complaint that certain redwood tank
hauled to Kula have lain for month
without being erected, he asserted tfa
the matter had been taken out of hi
hands by Chairman Kalama who ha
countermanded orders he had River
Howell agreed with the committe
report that the rates for water en- tn
, Makawao-Kula system are too low. II
believes that the discrepancy in tn
amount of water supposed to be goin
into the pipe and that sold, to be du
in large measure to faulty registeTin
of the Ventura Meter at the intake.
No Graft Charged.
Supervisor Fleming called attentio
to the fact that the strongest teri
used in connection with the Kul
/. waterworks matter in the committee
! report, had been "1aXness." Graft,
declared, had not been suggested
any degree.
w. F. Pogue, former supervise
urged the making of rates with vie
of encouraging economy in the us
of water. He also suggested permi
ting patrons to have storage tanks {
reservoirs to be filed from storl
\ water at lower rate, and which migl
J be used for irrigation.
The session closed with the namir
of a committee to study the matter
8 rates for water, the committee to +
port at the next meeting.