The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-03-02
THE ADVERTISERS SEM.wEEKLY
PRACTISE Versus Theory

TIME proposed amendments to the Municipal
Act, as recommended by the legislative com
mittee of the chamber of commerce, form, in real
ity new charter proposal, under the terms OF
which the only elective officials OF the city would
be mayor, an auditor and a board OF six super
visors All other officials are appointed
That is. the elective Offices Of city attorney, city
clerk sheriff apd city treasurer are abolished their
places to be filled by, appointed officials, holding
office at the pleasure of the board.
AS compared to the present system, the adopt
ion OF this charter would, il conditions here were
those Of the average American city, be great i'm
provement As general thing, the chamber 5
proposed charter is decidedly better charter than
that included in the Municipal Act Unfortunate
Iy, conditions here are not those prevailing else
where and in working for the betterment of the
municipal government OF Honolulu we must work
for specific object and not for something in gen
eral. sfa5.,l -... .....
The commission form OF goyernment-and the
charter Of the chamber is that, and nothing more
should not be attempted at this time in Homo
lulu, while the bulk of the voters who take the
greatest interest in conventions, primaries and
elections have only the interests of exploiters and
those to whom any other community would look
for civic leadership, unsefish public service and
civic ideals do not, in many instances, even vote
gsaThis does not have to be proven. Everyone who
knows the history of the past FIVE or six elections
realizes that this has been amply demonstrated.
1t sounds ridiculous to talk of a modern charter
in city where there is so little sense of public
conscience on the part of the "best citizens that
they tolerate police conditions that would have
left black mark in San Francisco in the heyday
of Abe Ruef -'".
Knowing what is what, it seems incredible that
there are those willing to concentrate authority in
IA board that, from all the present Indications will
be presided over by Joe Fern and that talk Of the
acme OF reform should come from those who even
refuse to turn out to support project, like the
recent bond issue for sewers, over which they had
wrangled for weeks in their chamber of commerce
rooms 1t strikes us that community that has
not yet risen to sewers has not reached the point
where it is safe to limit the governmental power to
any six or seven men, because It is certainty that
those six seven will be along the John Wise, Joe
Fern and Kupihea order. g..
The Municipal Act offers fifty-hfty basis. 1t
provides Offices for the politicians to fight for
and provides other offices--in which is concentrat-
ed the executive power-into which may be voted
qualified men. The posts require certain qualifca-
tons in the candidates, as well as bonds running
up to $4,000 r#.
The prime difference between the two proposed
charters is that one is good measure drawn with
out reference to its local application and the other
is good measure prepared especially to fit Homo
lulu conditions by those who know what those
conditions are.