The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-10-22
Larsen DECLARES
|. PRESENT CHARTER
IS GOOD enough
With a Little Fixing II Would Be
Found Satisfactory, SUI .
pervisor Says
BOARD SHOULD USE POWER
NOW GIVEN, HE ASSERTS
States Views and Makes Sugges-
L tons For Improving City
Government

supervisor william Larsen is frml
Of the opinion that the existing cit,
charter is a good charter, with a tril,
Il fixing, and one that would be foun,
satisfactory if only the supervisor
would use the power which belongs II
them. In a letter to The Advertiser
in response to a recent editorial, Mr.
Larsen goes into details, giving hi
views and suggestions. He writes:
90 Editor Advertiser:-I your editor
iaI of October IS, headed Clear out the
Rrambles you make certain statement,
why the present city and county char
ter fails in the attainment of good city
and county government, ana CLAIM
you are wrong. In order to make my
self clear it is necessary that ] quot,
from your editorial:
we do not agree with those who
believe that the present Charter Of
Honolulu is satisfactory, and that
it only requires the election of
good men TO give us a satisfactory
administration.
I'VE have now and we have had
good men before but they have
been so seriously hampered by the
limitations of the City and County
Act and so little able to do any
thing Of themselves that they have
simply slumped in with the gang
Provided They Hang Together
"Where you are wrong is right
here. The City and County Act gives
the board Of supervisors all the power
that is needed as far as their jurisdc
tions goes by law. The board has thu
power to discipline anyone in the EN-
ploy of the city and county, from IT,
mayor down to the poorest laborer
providing they hang together, and yor
will find the time not far distant
when that will happen.
"This board must realize that thu
time for idle vaporings, incompetent,
and ineficiency Is past, and, assuming
that appointments have been made BY
political preference against the wishes
Of some Of the members of the board
those members will no longer submit
to subordination and will appeal to pub
lie sentiment In the strongest possible
terms, if needed.
"What you mean by 'slumping il
with the gang, do not understand, 81
we will let that go.
Not the Charters Fault
''Then you go on to say: Charter re
vision whereby the good men will no
be wasted in a government system tina
hampers individuality by so diffusin;
responsibility and authority that it'll
can be done Here again | don GO
you.
1.-THE supreme authority is vested il
the board of supervisors-neXt cOmt
the committees and lastly the various
heads of departments. The cOmmitte,
of any department through its chair
man can make recommendation to tn
board as to the needs and wants of an,
special department, which are dis
cussed and approved or rejected as tn
board deems proper, or any individual
member of the board can introduce
resolutions seeking to remedy glarini
defects in any department.
"What more power do you want; i
any member lacks individuality that i
his fault and he has no business to b.
there. You surely cannot blame tn
city and county charter for that.
"Your last sentence reads: There ar
good men in the present board of super
visors, but in no time in the histOr
of the city have the executive depart
ments been so jammed with pOlitica
incompetents, while there is not ma
on the board who can remedy any on
Of the many things that the maiorit
know to be wrong Assuming you ar
right, you are still wrong for you ar
blaming the city charter for the short
comings of the board of supervisors.
Some Good Departments
"Now to go into detail: What
wrong with your fire Department. N
politics there.
''What is wrong with the electri
light department. Nothing but lac
for that. No politics there.
what is wrong with the water an
sewer Departmental Nothing but lac
Of revenue. No politics there.
"Then we come to the parks. Tha
is partly political. The health depari
ment-all politics; and the road d,
partment-here is where the she
pinehes, but you must admit that tn
1 present chairman is accomplishing VOL
ders.
A Political Dump
.t"The road department has alway
been the political dump for anythin
that nobody else wanted, any petit
politician that can deliver a few vote
has always been sure of some kind {
a job. 1t has been the petty polit
clans haven. Admitting the road d
partment to be the least efncient, ii
poorest organized, and the most exper
sive for the returns you receive, l We,
ture to assure you that this conditio
will soon be remedied by the presei
chairman of the road committee.
"But Mr.. Editor, you are wron
right here for blaming the city an