Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-07
RESEARCH CLUB
MODELCHARTER
WINS APPROVAL
Attempt to Dust Recall Provis-
ion Lost; Only Minor Changes
and Amendments are Made

and Amendments are Made
) 80 49,
Make the rnblic officer directly re-
sponsible to the public for his acts;
make him feel that he is acting in the
public eye while he is in office, not
alone when he is abroad with q genial
smile collecting votes said ex-Gover
nor Walter F. Frear last night. de-,
tending the section concerning the re,
cal in the model charter submitted to
the Municipal. Research Club.
Eighteen sections Of the charter had
slipped by without receiving more
than mere tentative suggestions and
discussions, but when section - was
reached, William Thompson had a
bomb to explode. and he rose to .ex-
plode it in the true Thompsonian
fashion.
vitality wrong: re characterized
the recall. and he continued: We are
at work on this recall measure with
suggestions here and amendments
there; tearing it down in one Jlaee
and giving it infinite holstering NJ in
others. All this goes to SHOW that we
are afraid Of the recall. We do;if
trust 1t unless It is under guard. And
thing we can't trust is vitality wrong
1t isn't one or two portions Of the
measure which are wrong. II could
be added to and subtraeted from for
ever. but it woIlld still remain essen
| TALLY wrong in and of itself"
Mr.. Frear then rose~and stated. in
the words quoted above, the position
of the clubs committee which had in
serted the section. Several others cx-
pressed themselves in similar tenor.
but when they had finished Mr..
Thompson. exploded again. with: :.
Let us put our efforts into the Sc
lection Of good men in the first place
and not waste so much effort seeinq
how we can take bad men; out CT Of
fee. If the recall goes through the
voter will he even more careless than
he is now, for he will say to himself
that ne can vote as he pleases in the
election, knowing that If the officer
does net prove worthy he may be re-
moved. >, This is like putting dirt on
the floor before you sweep 49,.
After prolonged discussion the
club decided to retain the section with
out change. Beyond this discussion
little was done at the meeting. Sec
ton Is, which forbade the use of moro
than one vehicle by each candidate in
getting the, vote to, the polls, was
stricken out after the club had several
times passed over the measure. 1t
was held that the provision would not
be acceptable 20 tho Fafty politicians
of the eity. -
What Salary Tor Mafaeer2s
Pay for the. city MANAGER, rhn s
the most important official In the plar |
of the model charter, was discussed |
at some length. S. s. PaxsaIc stated |
that 1t would be impossible 70 indl:e'
q good Businessman st1 take the posi-,
ton IL the salary isSleft to the wiirf |
of the supervisors. He held that s"nle |
substantial salary I'D decided unon bv I
the club, To be nodf9ed later If neees- |
sary. He stiggestedia salary of $500 |
a month. -
r. C. Brown thought that $500 was |
far too much, and stated that many |
capable men would be glad to take
the position at lesser sum, say $500 |
a year. In the discussion which now
oESoC pCI VI tiNO tOOAL q |
suggestion was made that the city |
manager be raised in salary from time
to time as he proved his efficiency.
Mr.. Paxson then reduced his sugges-
tion to a motion that the amount OF
the salary be fixed in the charter. The
motion was lost.
Further discussion of the Office O.
city manager developed the fact that |
most OF the members thought that he
should have certain defined and we'll
known qualifications, such. perhaps.
as some familiarity with engineering.
1t was pointed out bv Mr.. Brown that
a large number of the city managers
in the states are engineers of one sort
or another. A tie vote resulted on
this motion, and President G. F. Bush
cast the deciding vote in favor OF ar
which should put forth
clearly certain qualifications which
the manager must possess.
Another amendment stated that the
city manager SHOULD be endowed with
the power to appoint all officers whose
appointment was not otherwise pro-
vided for, and a second amendment
states that the civil service commits
sion shall have its expenses REIN,
bursed. but shall receive no pay for
service.
H. Stuart Johnson made a vigorous
talk in favor of compelling the man
ager to prerare a budget each year in
advance with an itemized estimate Of
the expenses Of all departments. The
project was not adorted.
The club refused to accent the res
ignation of President Bush and the
last business Of the meeting was :
statement by the members of the club
who are also delegates to the charte'
that they would not i
bound in their actions nv tn" limits "
the club charter but that the, woHlf
heartily assist in presenting it to tn
which rreotS TODAY.