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


Taxpayers OF Honolulu are in a distinctly show
me" frame Of mind on the proposed $4,000 bond
issue.
They realize the pressing need for road improve
ments and admit that present revenues are insufficient
for the big work Honolulu must do.
They are not Directing to present rates of taxation
and many of them would be willing to pay more taxes
If 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
to dig down deeper and deeper into its inadequate
treasury
But
Taxpayers of Honolulu are unwilling to vote for a
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 $250CC0 for city hall without knowing
that the money viii be spent cfeicutiy.
There's the slightest question but that the present
frame Of mind of the city's businessmen is one Of
1oubt that the money would be well spent.
7 wouldn't trust this board of supervisors to handle
TIE money-too much would be wasted in peanut polis
Ics. remarked businessman Wednesday afternoon
He had attended the AID Club session at noon and
beard 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
be remarked almost always been disappointed in
nc kind of government they have given the city
His distrust is not directed particularly at the pres
tt board or the present mayor It's the dstrus that
has accumulated through years when city affairs and
particularly the road departments affairs have been
'npregnated with patronage poIitics-the politics Of
forgetting and job-holding through delivering votes
instead Of through delivering the goods
And this mans distrust is typical It is distrust
general that if the bond issue were put to vote
now. it would be voted down three to one The dis
rust Of the city governments business ability is So
common among all classes of voters that it is almost
General and whether the mayor and the beard like it
o. not they mast reckon nith,it4 E - =. = =.
The Star-Bulletn believes the bond issue idea has
merit This paper sees no other wa to get good roads
y reasonable length of time than by raising aarge
sum Of money and going at the work on really big
scale. But we see no hope that the bond issue plan
can carry or should carry until the city administration
gets il 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
<<aety what roads are to be improved and what the
re Of each item will be what the cost of floating the
boad issue will be; exactly how the money is to be
64ndIed exactly how the labor is to be handled; ex
1ctly how the contractors are to be handled exactly
how the politicians are to be handled and the latter
should be handled once and for about of the way.
Will thousands of dollars be wasted in needless
overhead charges VIII chair-warrners and precinct,
runners be given :sihecure jobs Will rival rontrae
tors be allowed 10 do their battling and wre-p0IinR fer
city contracts and hold mp the Improvement? Wfthel
Doardunt on progressive plan or split into helpless