Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-15
Uniting City Departments

Engineer Collins referring to the qualifications OF
the future city engineer states number Of truths
that have been coincdent with successful manage
ment ever since the world began to grow.
The curious part Of the situation is that anyone
should assume that the work of the city could pos
sibly be we'll done by any other than an engineer
technically trained capable Of organizing and han
ding an organization, and allowed to 60 forward
with the duties of his position absolutely untram'
meled by politics
One improvement may be found in the fact that
no one of any standing is now willing to come INTO
the open and declare that the position taken by Mr.
Collins is wrong. Opposition is carried on under
cover.
Only those who have had some experience with
the methods of the municipal administration can
appreciate the full force of Mr. Collins suggestion
that there should be a closer union OF management
between the road constructing department and the
water and sewer administration. Lack OF such CO
operation in the past seems to have been due as
much to the supervisors as to the men at the head
OF these departments. The supervisors at the head
OF the committees having these departments on
their mind have sometimes acted az If each depart
ment was a little kuleana which should be run all
BY itself and no move made without the direction
of the committee chairman, who was also the ex'
elusive spokesman at meetings Of the supervisors.
Instead Of cooperation between the departments
there has been a tendency towards jealousy.
During the session Of the last legislature bust.
nessmen who interested themselves in the develop
ment Of what has come to be the million dollar
road building program were surprised and almost
appalled, to discover that there had been little or
no cooperation between the engineering and the
water and sewer departments. Each was going
ahead on a scheme of its own, eommendable and
showing knowledge of the situation, but heading
towards absolute failure account Of the lack Of
correlation in a comprehensive scheme. Az super.
yisors did not get together the heads Of depart
ments did not get together and the principal task
of the businessmen to put these excellent ideas
in proper shape get the city administration togeth
err in other words, do the obvious, common sense
thing and put 1t through
Management Is what the city needs assuming
that the heads of departments are competent.
Whether this management shall be brought about,
through the direct activities of the supervisors or
greater responsibility left with the heads Of depart
ments, il for the supervisors to determine. Every
man who has had anything to do with business
affairs larger than peanut stand knows what, on
general principles would be the better method. But
ut all events there must be cooperation between the
departments Otherwise the attempt at manage
nient must be an utter failure
Not forgetting, that ateall times the men In
charge of the city administration should be picked
for their ability to do the task and not for their
ability to talk partizan politics and thus waste
public money.