Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-04-24
GOVERNOR VETOES
CHARTERED
upheld IN HOUSE
CONTINUED from page onel


, - --
cmbine legislative, presiding, hecid
ing and executive functions in one
Iign. the mayor. most unprecedent
ed and dangerous combination.
?. The mayor, II he performs strictly
his legislative function, must take
benefit by the increased yield, but tc
the natiCn as whole and to the
people as individuals.
4 because the time for action is Sc
I short and because the situation is Sc
serious, am in favor Of government
supervision and control Of food pro
duCt ton and food prices. They have
been forced to that extremity in Eu'
I rope; let US do 50 while there yet re-
| mains something to conserve.
The prices for wheat, corn, pota.
toes, livestock and other food pro-
ducts are now beyond the control Of
any agency other than the govern
ment. Only the government can now
! preyent food prices from going up to
part and sides in discussing legisla-
tion and appropriations.
Mayoralty Proposal Unsound
| The mayor, In consequence, would
become, from a legal and sound view
point, incompetent 10 decide a tie in
the proceedings of the board OF super
/ visors, and moreover he could not
fail, in the position in which he is
placed in deciding ties, to be a biased
arbiter or stuitify his position as a
legislator
The mayor, instead of acting as an
advisor and arbiter on appropriations,
must be partiZan in HIS function as a
legislator in the board of supervisors
The mayor, as a legislator, must
pass on the confirmation Of his own
Apprentices. This to my mind is unten.
abe in good government. -- +.
There are some strange features in
this act. o.. Z
Superintendent OF City +.
Works Condemned j..
In the superintendent: of city works
is created a far more powerful Off:
cial than even the mayor. Important
and powerful as he Ifs, this act, while
Il provides for bond c. $4,000, fails
to name the salary he Is to receive
or indicate why no specific provision
is made by which the salary is to be
determined Simply TO leave il 10 a
combination Of three members of the
poaId of supervisors and the mayor in
his legislative capacity can hardly be
designated as prudent goyefnr/s rat.
he superintendent CT city works,
as read the act,sis immune to Off
.cial or citizen recall and to, impeach-
ment, because he is not elected. Il
note but one way he can be reached
and that IS the mayors power OF sus-
pension and removal.
believe II is unnecessary for me.
to go into further details as to this
paramount city and county office, al
though other points might be raised.
Need for Large Viewpoint
The island of Oahu, in other words
the City and County of Honolulu, is
becoming a trinity OF interests, which
feet. | fear at times, is being intention
ally overlooked and will continue to
he until a rude awakening is forced. /
ne components are the Federal Gov.
eminent as represented by the army
ami navy; tie TerSitory of Hawaii.
which IS responsible for large and
growing Indebtedness Of counties;
and the City and County CT Honolulu,
differentiated in powers from the
other counties.
III the present plans of the army and
navy now in progress are continued,
and there is no Indication of a change
hut the reverse, the federal govern
ment will become in expenditures by
great odds paramount to any Political
- ~ fNr
corporate or private interests in this
territory.
The federal government is primarily
in health conditions, sani-
tation and highways
To date, although the subject has
been not infrequently called tic their
no county official has APP
the commander OF the Ha-
wsfian department or the military /
head of The corps Of United States en-
gineers relative to highways, although
their tentative plans overshadow those
of the city and county.
II. B. 354 is incomplete without
some mandatory provisions to secure
absolute preliminary INSTRUMENTATION
between city and county officials md
the f1dWdlidH QcpdlIiHcllt anu INCL W /
operation in matters OF mutual con-
cern.
An agricultural island, largely noun
of only sos square miles in |
area, is too small to permit OF the de-
gree of autonomous and conflicting
divisions of government proposed
without absolute cooperation.
Tie act under consideration does |
net specifically repeal the existing |
but only repeats all acts or |
parts of acts in conflict herewith,
either directly or by implication.
While not of legal education, | ap. |
prehend the phrase, -" In conflict |
herewith either directly or by implica.
ton" would not prevent, but rather in. !
vite appeals to the courts for decisions |
or interpretations Of disputed incon.
sistencies and uncertainties, hence il |
would seem time should be taken to |
present text free from possibilities
Of dispute.
There is no provision for repeal OF |
in act H. B. 354 The pro-
visions of section 1858, r. L. H., 1915,