Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-03-17
THE HANDICAP OF THE SUPERVISORS.

Supervisor Shingles little talk to his col
leagues Of the board last night, upon the oc
casion of his last appearance with them, con
tains much worth thinking over. He deplored
the tendency on the part of outsiders tc
"knock" the board; lie declared his confidence
that the present membership is capable, and
he gave a little paternal advice about sticking
together and backing up department heads and
committees
One of his utteranceS was:
II know now the responsibilities OF an officer Of
this city and county and you viii not find me max
ing any cheap at the board on the street cor
The present condition of the city and county
finances is not due to the board of supervisors, or
any of them IL is on account OF the law which
viii not permit Honolulu to as it is trying to-
We are being com PEELED to one Of the most pro
gressve cities Of its size in the world on the income
Of peanut stand do not know city of its size on
the mainland of the progressyeness Honolulu that
Is not entitled to levy its taxes. say this that
the present knocker Of the board Of supervisors be he
Republican Democrat may know, that 1t is an in
Justice TO the board members and done without true
knowledge of the conditions under which this board
has TO work"
Mr.. Single is probably as well-informed on
city and legislative affairs as any man in Ho-
noIulu-better informed than nine out OF ten.
/ It is impossible to think that he does not know
+ why Honolulu has not the right to levy its own
taxes.
The legislature has granted more and more
powers to the city of Honolulu and the various
counties 1t has always manifested willing
ness to add responsible functions where the
governments had shown themselves capable.
1t has gone slowly in turning over the taxing
power to Honolulu first because of uncertainty
as to whether the city should be given this au-
thority on top of many other new functions;
secondly because the Legislators considered that
the present tax law indirectly gave the super
visors control over the tax rate through the
budget making power. In practice city eff.
Gals have not found this to be the case, but in
any event the disposition of the legislature has
been to increase city powers as rapidly as the
city has proved itself able to handle new obi
cations. If there has been hesitation in any
case, il has been because the Legislature was
not entirely confident this young municipality
was doing cIean-cut job of handling its own
affairs
The present boards record is not likely to-
create such confidence. 1t awoke after year
ii Office to the facts of heavy deficit, of APP
Preparations made if not legally at least with
uncertain authority 1t awoke to face proba-
BILE deficit throughout the rest of its tenure Of
office. it awoke-and is now seeking special
legislative relief
When all the facts regarding city finances
are brought out, it will probably be found that
the city, as Mr. Single puts it, is trying to run
on the income of a peanut stand. The present
board is not to blame for this What taxpay
ers may justly charge up against the present
board is It's failure to grasp the financial situa
ton until after it had operated for year as if
its income would be entirely sufficient What
taxpayers may justly charge up against the
present board is the persistence with which it
ignored the repeated warnings of the city au-
ditor's reports furnished each member.
There is no disposition to blame SUPERVISOR
Single. He has served only short time on
the board and his principal duties were with
the road committee and not with municipal
finances That he worked very hard is a matter
Of knowledge and the public appreciates that.
The experience of this board again raises the
question whether seven men busy primarily |
Will their private affairs can handle city af-
fairs of the magnitude of Henolulu's 1t raises
the question whether our form of municipal
government is not quite as much to blame
YES more than the individuals of the board
and the board itself. The personnel of the
board isindubitably hard working and anxious
to make a good record, and there is, just as Mr..
Single remarks scant chance that seven bet |
ter men would be chosen by the voters
WHY IS II that each board of supervisors is
displaced after only two years. Why is it that
every two wears there is an upheaval in city
~ Il