Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-10-05


A thoroughly discreditable document is
emerging from the political manipulations and
ministrations OF the charter conventions coh-
mittee of ....
it is IN Substance the document drafted by
the majority of this committees sub-commit-
tee Of FIVE with few more vicious amend
nients thrown into the political hodgepodge
lor good Measure. As it stands, it will appeal
to the poll lies revenue only members of the
eohventio4, and these, together with members
sWung to their side by appeals to prejudice,
nay be sufficient to jam through the conyen-
ton charter which will debauch the public
seryice as surely as tomorrow s sun will rise.
Last night the stanch minority of five fought
b secure Something like progressive charter
But their fight was vain in the face of eight
Imposing votes cast on the side of reactionar-
'sm. And the FIVE, soon realizing the futility
Of their fight, began to see the humor In the
professed disciples of good government, such
IS some of these eight men are, favoring the
majority report with its political feedtroughs
md patronage loopholes.
II is significant of the spirit of this majority
Ieport and the charter it proposes that the
principle Of civil service in municipal employ,
Won from the legislature Of 1913 after long
|gitation, has been cast to the winds. On the
.pecious plea that civil service here has been
failure, the entire plan is abandoned OF
.ourse, if the civil service plan has not worked
.ere, the thing to do is to find out just where
he statutes or the regulations governing it
Ire faulty and then amend them, for there is
abundant experience elsewhere to prove that
The theory of civil service is sound and valuable
y 49, L. n. ell.
d practice
Aside from the packing of the proposed char
tel with sections designed to promote political
machines and to encourage job grabbing, the
document is intolerably lengthy crammed
With trivial detail which should properly be
dealt with by ordinance. Here, for instance,
|Ie five of its sections, taken at random and
|howing the unnecessary detail with which the
6harter draft is padded
Section 1s7. Signs. Signs securely fastened to
the building may be suspended the sidewalk not
more than three feet from the building at a clear
height above the sidewalk Of not less than eight feet
Section 49, HtchIng Posts. Posts for the pur-
pose OF hitching horses or other animals may be
placed at the outer edge of the sidewalk the
edge Of the road in front Of any building, and such
posts shall net be than four feet In height
eecticn 2oS HItchInG to Trees. No person shall
hitch q tasten any horse Of other animal to any
crnamentd or shade tree In the streets Sidewalks
o. to any box or frame around such tree
Section 2ta Driving Cattle, Etc, Across No cat
tie horses mules or asses, exceeding ten In num-
Der. shall be driven any bridge of wood iron
IN the city and county Of Honolulu OF feet span
more under the penalty of fine OF not less than
one dollar nor more than ten dollars, recoverable
against the drivers Of the same by prosecution etc
seetions 2oz Kites. No person shall fy kites in
q upon any street lane. alley or sidewalk.
SectionEafter section of this absurd document
contains stuff just about as trivialfor char
teras the above. 1t may be argued that this
charter itself shows the necessity of regulating
the asses, but that point will hardly be insisted
upon by the trainers of the document
The experience of mainland cities shows that
model charter is one which is brief, concise,
inclusive; which avoids prolxity, which avoids
tying the hands of the city S legislative power
BY detail; which grants powers rather than inn
poses restrictions But then the majority of
the charter convention s committee of fifteen,
ike the majority of the subcommittee of five,
insist on going in the face of municipal expe-
lience elsewhere
successful precedent means nothing to them
when compared to succulent politics.
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY'S BIRTHDAY.