Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-23
CHARTER REVISION.

Editor Honolulu Star-Rulletin.
Sir: Mr.. Green. in the charter con-
ventiOn, does not promote any cause
he may be championing by repeating
stale actions from the Field report.
By exaggeratiol he makes a libel
worse. Mr.. Field said it took 70 cents
to eXpend 30 cents on roads. Mr..
Green goes one better by making ii
1920 cents. The original untruth was
effectually contradicted by Civil Engt-
neer Gere at a public meeting about
two years ago. AS a matter Of fact.
the municipality has often done road
work cheaper than it could have had
it done by contract 1t has also done
skilled mechanical work by days labor
at a. saving to the taxpayer where
bids invited have been above the fig
ure appropriated by the legislature FOR
school buildings.
Delegate r4ames would appear, judg-
ing by his reference to roads, to be
peeved at the move of the supervisors
to. give Wahiawa, his home village,
a 81 5000 road connecting with the belt
highway. His talk about school build
ings betrays ignorance or worse, as
does his reference to sanitation. Ev-
cry well-informed citizen ought to
know that the reform in building and
maintenance of schools. since the city
and county took those things over has
been revolutionary, while every Kin
dergarten child probably Knows that
the board Of health, and not the city
and county, has charge of general SAN
itation. In the few matters under
this head shared by the municipality
it is making a creditable record
What good purpose is to be served
in the convention by slamming those
to whom the city government has been
committed by the people under the
present charter is hard to conceive
! have given frequent study to book,
relating the rise and growth of the
commission and eommisSion-manager
plans, written by an eastern professor,
also have, perused some, OF the new
charters and reports of cities governed
thereunder besides eagerly reading all
Of the letters from mayors and other
officials 'of such cities secured and
published by yourself; and noting
newspaper accounts of the workings
of the new systems picked up by
myself. Thus far have failed to find,
even among the things you have EN-
phasized in black type, any beneficfai
results from the new plans which can
not be duplicated by. the record OF
Honolulu under it's present mueh-be-
Titled charter-that is, so far as its
powers extend. In some respects, this
municipality, with Typographical and
Intentional disadvantages present In
few If any of the mainland cities In
question, has surpassed the records or
several of the most successful exam
pies of commission government on the
mainland. Anyone who wishes can
have the proof of these assertions on
demand.
The commission form, REINFORCED by
distinct improvements, is practically
being carried out here under the pres
ent charter, which, respectfully con-
tend, is immeasurably superior, even
without any amendments, to either OF
the two drafts OF new charter thus
far submitted to the convention, There
might be a shorter ballot, perhaps,
but, while there are some good rea-
sons for electing only the legislative
functionaries, there are grounds OF
serious apprehension that the change
in question would merely, in a new
form, revive the disreputable trading
Of the old nominating convention. In
other words, a candidate for supervl-
sor would not be allowed to run on
his. individual, merits but would be
subject to holdups by the hackers OF
aspirants to all the big appointiVe Of
fees. With municipal separated
from legislative elections, as a law OF
1915 provides, the ballot under the
present system will not be unduly
long
There is nothing in the present char
ter to prevent the appointment OF a
city manager by the supervisors. With
amendments to provide for greater
| degree of control over elective heads
of departments by the supervisors
who are the ones held responsible by
the people; to prevent deadlocks IN
the appointing of officials whose pc
sitions are created by ordinance, and
! to provide for ready adaptation to any
! additional powers and jurisdiction the
: legislature may confer on the city gov
ernment-such as the assessment and
collection of taxes, the complete con
troll over schools excepting, perhaps
the scholastic regimen thereof, etc
the present charter should furnish q
Il ~ hoo al q
/ where