Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-10-29
BY Margin of Two Votes Form
er Minority Reduce Num-
Der of Supervisors

What seemed only a temporary
check to the majority at the charter
convention Wednesday night turned
into a rout last night when the mi:
nority passed w c. Achi's amendment
to section 6, providing for six super
yisors and a mayor, all to be elected
at large, by vote OF % to 90.
BY this measure the mayor loses
his powers of approval and veto and
instead votes with the board, all ordi-
nances issuing directly from the SUI
peryisors without passing through the
hands OF any higher medium.
Originally the radical minority held
out for four supervisors. and the con
sentative majority wanted eight and
return to the ward system of electing.
The triumph of the radicals is there
for beginning. and from present in
iications the balance of power nc
longer lies in the hands of Lorrin An,
rews and his followers.
Thereafter events went rather
smoothly until the section was reached
which provides that instead of pub
fishing each ordinance three times in
the newspapers before final action be
taken upon It, IT be merely posted in
q prominent place There those who
are interested can come to look over
the details s., silgh
Publicity e Better.
w. o. Smith rose to make a long
protest against this measure. He
maintained that the old system was
Tar better. He pointed out that one
of the most important principles OF
city government or OF any republican
form OF government was the giving Of
plenty of publicity to all the acts OF
officials.
He said that when an act was pub
lished In the papers everyone could
read 1t, whereas there was little op-
portunity or desire on the part of most
citizens to walk to one place and read
at length from a billboard.
Defending the change. Lorrin An
drews. chairman OF the committee OF
Is, pointed out that one of the largest
single items of the annual city budget
was this one for newspaper advertis-
ing.
4 mo one reads these long acts in
the newspapers anyway" said An
drews, "and the only good that is done
is to fatten the pocketbooks Of the
papers,
Clerk David Kalauokalani then rose
to make one of his ififrequeht i
speeches. He gave bare Facts -
Annual Bill About $1,000.
The bill for the first publication Of
one ordinance was 1853 and for the
three publications the total exnenif'
ture will total something like 5000.
This IS only one giaring instance of
what Is repeated almost every day.
In thesaboye mentioned case the ordi.
nance consisted OF column after col
umn Of dry technicalities which no
ordinary citizen would find OF the
least interest. II is very doubtful
whether any bat a trained reader
could follow the winding intricacies of |
legal phraseoiogy Yet for just such
advertising the city and county every
years pays about $1,000 This is per
cent Of the entire expenditures Of the
county"
The speech of Kaiauokalani was de-
cisive, and despite the fact that Smith
rose twice again to defend his amend
ment 1t was lost by an overwhelming
majority.
! One sentiment which found frequent
expression during the discussion was
that the newspaper service in Homo.
lulu was SO efficient that no act Of an
official body was apt to be overlooked, |
and that surely ain act which in the |
slightest measure might be detriment.
al to the public welfare would be apt
to start into a headline.
Section 20 of the revised charter,
giving the board Of supervisors the !
powers of board of estimate and
equalization after some discussion;
was referred to a committee consist
ing of w. o. Smith,. Lorrin Andrews
and w. G. Achi They are to report