Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-06-02
THEY MUsT BE CONVINCED.


Taxpayers Of Honolulu are in distinctly show
me- frame of mind on the proposed $4,000 bend
issue.
They realize the pressing need for road improve
ments and admit that present revenues insufficient
for the big work Honolulu must do.
They not Directing to present rates of taxation
and many of them would be willing pay taxes
II necessary.
They understand that the city must pay large pro-
portion Of the total amount of frontagetaxes contr-
buted to virtually all paving projects and that as these
local improvement plans progress the municipality has
70 dig down deeper and deeper into its inadequate
treasury.
But
Taxpayers Of Honolulu are unwilling to vote for
bond issue of this size or any size without knowing
exactly where and how the money is to be spent.
They are unwilling to bond the city for $4,000
for roads and S25G0O0 for city hall without knowing
that the money will be spent efficiently.
the slightest question but that the present
frame Of mind of the city's businessmen is one Of
doubt that the money would be well spent.
4 wouldn't trust this board ofsupervsors to handle
the moneytoo much would be wasted in peanut poll
tics remarked businessman Wednesday afternoon.
He had attended the AID Club session at noon and
heard the mayor, the city engineer and others talk
upon the bond issue
He has also lived in Honolulu for many years, voted
regularly for mayors and boards of supervisors and
as he remarked almost always been disappointed in
the kind Of government they have given the city.
His distrust is not directed particularly the pres
ent board the present mayor is the dstrus that
has accumulated through years when city affairs and
particularly the road departments affairs have been
inpregnated with patronage politics the politics of
jobgeu;ng and job-holding through delivering votes
Instead Of Through delivering the goods
And this mans distrust is typical 1t is distrust
So general that if the bond issue were put to vote
now It would be voted down three to ones The dis
trust of the city governments business ability is So
common among all glasses of voters that it is almost
general and Ehetfertle mayor and the board like
Or not they must reckon with it
The Bulletin believes the bond issue idea has
merit This paper other way to get good roads
ii reasonable length of time than BY raising afge
sum of money and going at the work on really big
scale. But we see no hope that the bond issue plan
can carry should carry until the city administration
GETS before the people in complete comprehensive
absolutely convincing fashion
Honolulu wants to know and is entitled to know the
plan from top to bottom. The voters should know
Exactly what roads TO be improved and what the
cost of each item viii be- what the cost of floating the
bond issue will be; exactly how the money is to be
handled; exactly how the labor is to be handled;
acty how the contractors are to be handled; exactly
how the politicians to be handled-and the latter
should be handled once and for all-outo of the way
VIII thousands of dollars be wasted in needless
overhead charges VIII chair Warmers sidsprecinct
runners be given sinecure jobs Viii rival eontfac
tors be allowed to 10 their battling and wire pulling for
cry contracts andsholdup the Improvement WHltiiei
board unite progressive plan or split into helpless
iaciions in the face of big problem?