The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-02-29
Supervisors Agree That This Is
Only Way To Prevent y
Financial Collapse
CIRCUIT COURT MUST
~ e.. RUN WITHOUT MONEY
Board Refuses Another Appro-
priation and Tribunal May
Have To Suspend Business

A special session OF the Legislature is
necessary, in the opinion of the major,
ity Of the members of the board of su
pervisors, to get Honolulu out of its
financial difficulties. The circuit court
expense fund is exhausted; so IS the
general fund of the city cut of which
comes the money to pay the expenses
of the court and the supervisors re.
fused last night to appropriate $4,000
for the further carrying on of judicial
business, in view OF the provisions OF
Section 22l4 Of the Revised Laws. whie
makes it a punishable offense to appro,
pirate in excess of available money.
In a straight. from the shoulder talk
to the board, Supervisor Single said
what, in his opinion, was the condition
staring the municipality in the face, a,
nancially. He said that instead ..of
there being a chance to retrieve the
city would be in worse condition at
the end of June than it was at the end
of December. B. ~ ~
Courts Run Away with Money
There was no way out of it and the
courts were running away with their
share of the money at such a rate that
1T was only a question of time, If the
appropriation asked for were allowed
that it would be exhausted and there
wonld have to be another one. ,-,'.
1T was the proper time now to take
the bull by the horns" and refuse to
allow more money, especially as the pro
rata of the appropriation has been
greatly Over.expended Let the courts
be shut down for lack Of funds and
the position of the board would be
brought foreibly to the attention Of the
public and something would be done,
said the supervisor. Shingles idea,
and 1t was seconded by all the members
except Logan, was that q special SEES
thing. .. - ~
Honolulu's Needs Are Many
/ 1t, should be called fer the purpose
Of considering only the needs of Homo
lulu, and could be for a reasonable sum
of money, it was proposed. The city
had never been given a proper hearing
before the legislature, because the mem
Ders OF that body were too busy with
their own outside affairs. Honolulu had
minority in the house and senate.
and when it came to anything being
done for the city It had to take its place
sometimes behind an, appeal from vo-
tiers OF Honuapo for a new wharf, or
new warehouse at Pukoo, or an an.
proach to a bridge at Keauhou. Homo.
lulu was out voted and out general led in
important matters by the country mem
bers and lost out every time.
This city is growing three times
as fast as the other islands but it is
not appreciated by the members of the
legislature said Shink,e. "Let a spe-
cial session be called to handle the needs
or Honolulu alone and something could
be done to relieve the situation"
No Longer Country village
It was made clear that there was no
intention on the part of the board to
ask the legislature to run the city of
Honolulu but only to give the super
visors the right to handle things so
that they would be able to make both
ends meet.
From time to time the legislature has
saddled additional expense on the NUM-
cipallty without. giving it the means
to accept the responsibility. The wa
ter and sewer works were cited as ex-
amples of the manner in which the
city had been passed lemons of the
first water, and the circuit courts were
another example, The declaration was
made that the city has outgrown the
knickerbockers of former years and now
needs a new long pair of pants. There
is no money to buy them, but they are
needed. Honolulu has grown up. 1t is
no longer hamlet.
The supervisors have no right to
levy taxes and under the present
law are, held down to a certain sum of
money, never mind what the needs are
Taxes are handed to the city and the
supervisors are told to live on this in
come and within it, " said Single. at
h like someone should present a poor
man with the Young Hotel and tell him
ne must live there and pay $4,000 a
month rent and keep it going and in
condition and repair also. The city is
in the position of the poor man and
cannot do IT."
After the talk by Shingle the board
indefinitely postponed action on the APP
preparation for the circuit court and
now It is up to the tribunal to show
what pnn ba dana x.t;tlout ,no,o,