Honolulu star-bulletin., 1916-03-29
PALACES AND FACTS.

secure the maximum of efficiency in city gov
ernment--either to get the foremost business
men of Honolulu upon the board of supervls5
ors or to adopt the city manager system and
put the city's affairs in the hands of one strong
businessman. a4 9f -"
Without questioning the good results which
might develop from the first plan, it is neither
feasible nor, if feasible, would in the long run
be conducive to sound city government The
second plan is both feasible (if we except the
political factor) and in the long run it would
be conducive to sound government,
The first plan is not feasible because seven
foremost businessmen couldn't be Induced to
serve upon the board of supervisors under the
present form of government; because even II
they could be induced to serve there would be
extreme difficulty in getting them elected.
The plan would not be conducive to sound
government because it would not be sound bust
ness Neither Honolulu nor any other Ameri-
can city OF $4,000 or 9nore capl expect, its lead
ing businessmen to- give, up the major portion
of their time to municipal office and the men
who actually rfn large tolFsls and eities must
give mp most of their time to Hlor the admins
tration will he a failure.
Sound city government means businesslike
city government No sound business runs on
charity, and that is what Honolulu would be
running on if it had to depend primarily upon
men giving up their private business day after
day and month after month in order to take
public office
The man who takes any important city office
in Honolulu today must make the public service
his first business; he must call early, sit close
= II,
cent Of its potentiat force. 49,. Is.@ s.. +.
He must be s;onthe job for the city allsor
nearly all the Time He must be accessihle-to
the public all or nearly all the time. He must
be able at any moment to drop his personal
affairs to look after public affairs.
Honolulu's city government has grown too
large to be handled by few minutes of atten-
ton each day.
The form of our local municipal government
preeudes the possibility of seven leading
businessmen meeting as boards of directors
meet, to pass upon policies, relying upon their
manager to carry out the detailss THERE'S no
manager to carry out detailssof civic saffairs.
There are half dozen departments, loosely
connected there is mayor who is not expected
by the majority of voters to be of big business
caIiber The board of supervisors cannot pos
sibly act as board of directors under the pres
ent system They must divide into committees
and these committees must hold many long
meetings, must not only decide matters of de-
tail, but see that they are carried out.
In times of grave emergency, such as fire,
flood or epidemic, the crisis invariably brings
the leading businessmen to the front They
take charge for few days; the crisis passes;
they return to their businesses! Ee.5 kells
In Galveston, in Dayton, in several other
American cities, out of just such crises grew
Che short.ballot and city-manager forms o: gov
ernment. Emergencies forced upon the public
mind realization that the cities must be run
NOT on the 'haphazards of politics but upon the
proved principles of business.
Ali over the country, towns and cities are
hiring city managers. The result has not been
against the American tenet of popular partici-
patton in local self government. On the con
trary, the removal of bossism, of political deals
and trades and manipnlations has given the
voters new interest in their government.
Larger votes are polled than before proof
conclusive that more citizens are taking active
part in their civic affairs /. : .I 8, II s:
It is useless for HonoI.'|0 IS expect q get
seven or FIVE Of It's leading businessmen upon
the board Of supervisors under the present srs-
{tm There will be very great difficulty for
|11Is @ come to GET them under any system Of
...|.I voting un|ts. her ..| oft and .'.I IA.