Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-11-15
men Who FAVOR
MODERN CHARTER
Plan TO Fight
Andrews Rejected Offer to
Compromise if Most Vicious
Points Were Changed
CLAIM MURRAY LOOKS
ON POSITION AS HIS
Said to Aspire to Post of Sup.
erintendent of City Works
if Majority Wins

Members of the recent charter con
yention who favored the short ballot
and who submitted the minority char.
ter draft, will not make any formal mi
nority report to the legislature when
that body is asked to approve the
charter, but as individuals a num-
Der OF them will appear to explain
their position, and to ask the legis.
lature to refuse to approve the char
ter.
w. o. Smith said today that he
would be one Of those to go before
the legislature; w. C. Achi expressed
the same intention, and C. f. Chilling
worth, member of the. upper house,
said that he would oppose the major
fly draft in every possible way.
Just before the meeting of Friday
night at which the patched-up charter
was forced through, Delegate Smith
and Lorrin Andrews had conference
during which the latter said that he
understood the minority men were go
ing to try to delay proceedings and
prevent any action by the convention,
and that IL that was the case the ma
jority would have to force the measure
through. Andrews said the convention
must do something and that the ma
jority did not propose to let the op-
position block all action by fllibuster.
ing. Smiths answer was that he had
no intention of supporting any attempt
to block action and as member Of
the minority was convinced that there
would be no effort of that kind made.
81 do not like this charter" Mr..
Smith told Andrews, but in order to
get charter am willing to sacrifice
my views to a certain extent, and II
the majority will change three or four
points, i win support the charter and
help to get it through the legislature.
The proposal to elect q asuperinte ntendent
or pubic works and give him large
powers is entirely wrong. He should
be appointed by the supervisors, so
they could regulate his work.
Support Was Offered.
'Te give the mayor power to appoint
district magistrates means to put those
offices on the list OF political spoils
and would erect barrier behind
which a dishonest official might hide.
Taking the mayors veto power away
Is another serious mistake. II the
majority will rectify some Of these
glaring errors the minority will accept
defeat for their ideas and support
the charter as drawn"
Andrews refused to yield any point
and the charter went through as It
was with the minority members stir.
red up against it. So much feeling
was created at the Friday night
meeting that there is now practically
no chance for getting the measure
through the legislature.
AS sidelight on the situation in re-
lation to the office of superintendent
of public works, remarks made. by
Harry E. Murray, assistant manager OF
the Honolulu water and sewer depart
ment, are Illuminating In relation to
the rumor that the position of super
of city works Is being made
for him. Murray said recently to one
Of the leaders OF the minority:
II don't see why you keep hammer
ing that superintendent Of city works
when you claim to be my
friend. 1t looks as though you are
trying to keep me from getting good
Job.
The financial report of the charter
as made by Clerk William
Coelho, shows that there is now on
hand $2S2.53, with $100.75 still to be
paid out, which will leave clear bal
ance of $181.7S to be refunded to the
Bank of Hawaii as part payment on
the 500 advanced by the bank to f.
nance the convention. The legisla-
ture will be asked to appropriate
tc repay the balance of the
loan. .... g.. ~
w. C. Achi expressed the opinion
that the majority of the charter con-
vention did not pass the charter draft,
and that no member of the convention
was bound to support it. He said that
he would go before the next legisla-
ture and present the facts about the
charter and the convention as he knew
them to be. ~ ~
"Twenty-seven members passed the
draft on third reading" he said, and
that is not majority. If the major
Ity had passed the draft, should have
felt bound to abide by their decision
and to accept the defeat of my own
ideas. AS it is | am not obligated to 4
abide by the decision of but part of
the convention, illegally made, and
shall do all can to keep this charter
rom being adopted. feel that it
would be a severe blow to progress
10 have such a charter foisted on us.