The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-09-17
CHARTER BRAINS
ARE INQUANDRY
!. J. OVER FINANCES
lr1fg FTH3FTV7
SlSty-four lnteIlests Stew More
Than An Hour Regarding
3fit Expense Money
+ / n s5il A.
GOVERNOR WILL GET
ONE MORE PETITION
Drafts ofResearch and Achi Con-
stitutionS Are Received and
Promptly Referred

Sixty -four select representatives of
he people of Honolulu bent the weight
Of. their combined intellects for an hour
and a quarter last evening over the
problem of where they were to find
twelve hundred dollars also over the
fne ethical point of whether, If they
should find that sum, they would be
begging or simply borrowing it. Az the
end of the hour and a quarter they
had not found, the money, nor the pre-,
else means of acquisition, but had
placed the puzzle in the hands Of a
committee consisting of Daniel Logan,
Joseph Fern and W. o. Smith.
The studious spectacle was presented
at the meeting Of the Honolulu charter
convention, in the nakai pavilion of the
Alexander Young Hotel.
+ Governor Pinkham and the city SUI
pervisors both have repudiated respon-
Sibility for the convention y expenses.
These expenses have been estimated by
the conventions finance committee,
which comprises the gentlemen afore-
named, at $1,000. The Governor has
been advised by the attorney general
that the convention is not a territorial
affair and therefore be is not author
lied to draw upon his contingent fund
to make 1t an effective body. The city
supervisors have been advised in sim
liar fashion by the city attorney.
Governor Has Another Chance
But Governor Pinkham is to have an
~ ~
thinks it is the polite thing to give
him that opportunity. If he does re-
iterate, then the committee acting on
'ugc est ;ons advanced last night by Lor-
rim Andrews and Joel C. Cohen, will go
to one of the local banks and try to
negotiate a loan. For this it will OffeI
% give note, endorsed by the officials
# the convention and. if desired, en-
d0rsed by large number of the dele,
gates. ,.,...I
"If the officers Of this convention
will endorse such a note and give it
to me, declared Cohen in the heat
Of the discussion, "I'll guarantee to
raise twelve hundred dollars by tomor-
row noon and place it in the hands
of the chairman
"The legislature will not go hack on
us, Andrews assured his conferes. 1T
paid this, banana claims the Chinese fire
"laims, the Nuuanu Dam expenses.
These were not nearly as important as
this convention. The lawmakers aren t
going to throw. us down 1t has been
an oversight on their part. If we go
to bank and negotiate a loan, that
bank will get its money back, with
interest. 1t is strictly a business pro
u ition."
w. o. Smith nearly wept as he drew
for his colleagues benefit a word pie
ture of the pitiabIe plight to which the
convention has been brought by the un-
charitable position taken by the city
and territorial legal advisers.
Here's a Sad Plight
We are a public body; not here in
private capacity or for priNu" inter
csts. Yet neither city nor Territory has
made any preparation for us. The elec-
tors acted in goo! faith when they Sc
lected us as Delegates. Yet for two
days your committee has been forced to
accept the hospitality Of pool room
to conduct its buSincsS and here we
are under the charity of another private
concern, sitting in this hotel tonight.
''Thc Governor = contingent fund
seems intended for Just such legislative
0vcrSights as the one confronting us;
vet we can scarcely criticise him, for
he is acting On the advice of his legal
counsel and could hardly do otherwise.
Yet ! can t see how either the TERRITORY
OF the city can rightfully escape the
responsibility of the convention = finan,
cial support. We certainly have just
cause to be displeased with both gov.
ernments,'
These questions of ways and means
have been threshed to and fro the last
week. 1t WAS only in the last forty
Eve minutes of last night s session that
the body got down to the real business
for which il. was formed discussing
the revision Of H6nolulu's charter.
Two Drafts Submitted
Two charter drafts were submitted;
\. u, Castro presented that formulated
nv the Municipal Research Club and
W. G. Arhi offered the one he has
drawn. Both were accented and refer
red directly to the committee Of fifteen,
of which LOrrin Andrews is chairman,
This committee will meet Friday
night in the same pavilion, conducting
a public session at which the citizens
Of the city are invited to present any
suggestion they may have on the gen
oral subject of charter revision. to Of
fer charters drafts Or discuss those al
ready submitted
The convention adjourned subject to
he call of Chairman, PachecO.
A.