Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-19
SALARY RAISES
ARE DISCUSSED
SUNDAY MEET
chairmen of Three Boards oil
Supervisors Meet With
Members of House


Members of House
Bills relating to and affecting tbs
counties OF the territory were inform
ally discussed Sunday by the commit
tee ehairmen of the house Of represen
tatives. with three of the chairmen Of
boards of supervisors. Chairmen pre-
sent were Mayor. John c. Lane, Samuel
Kauhane Of Hawaii and II. B. Wishar6
of Kauai. Samuel F. Kalama OF the
Mauai board, it was understood, was
in Honolulu, but he did not attend the
meeting.
Some bills have been introduced IN
the house." said Speaker III. L. Hol
stein in opening the meeting, that are
more for political effect than any
thing else, such as boosting the salary
OF a friend, for instance. But the
question before us is whether YOU
county finances warrant the boost Of
such salaries, and so on"
Hawaii County ls Considered
House Bills and so, relating to
raises in pay for certain Hawaii
county officers, were taken up first
Senator Makekau, who was courteous
~ allowed Dy the speaker to express
his views, although it was strictly q
house conference, wanted the matters
OF salary raises for the Big Island re
ferred to the Hawaii delegation
Speaker Holstein CURLY informed him
that the house has no such organiza'
ton.
The argument boiled down to dis
cussion of whether the salaries oil
deputy clerks on Hawaii should be
fixed by law, or left to the board OF
supervisors as at present Represen'
tative .Kelekolio and Makekau argued
that they should be fixed by law. The
point they made was that the super
yisors could cut down salary at any
time they saw fit, and they believed
that the legislature should regulate the
pay.
Chairman Kauhane OF the Hawaii
board declared himself in favor of the
present method. He said that the Big
Island supervisors were a business
like body, that they showed no favor
itism and played no politics.
Lane Stands By Boards
Mayor John C. Lane expressed the
opinion that the Legislature. by taking
q hand in the fixing OF these saalries,
would show q lack Of confidence In
the supervisors. He added he be.
heyed the supervisors should have the
power to regulate such salaries as
they saw fit, and that the Legislature
should take no step which would re-
move from them their present powers.
As regards the bill providing that
the Hawaii supervisors be given a
raise in their pay from $50 a month
to SO month, or an increase to 5000
a year, Senator Makekau said he would
like to see the pay Of the supervisors
raised to at least 500.
why not give enough salary to en-
able the supervisors to devote all OF
their time to the work of the county p
he asked. Then we would have bet
ter boards Of supervisors |"
Increased Duties, Increased Pay
In the matter Of proposed salary
raises for certain Kauai officers,
Chairman Wishard explained that, &C
eording to the feeling on the Garden
Island, all officials were entitled to
some additional compensation because
of increased duties and the advance
in the cost of living. He especially
urged that the deputy sheriffs at Ka-
waihau and Hanalei be given raises Of
at least $500 a year each, as provided
in bill now before the house.
But he could see no reason, he
added, why the county clerk should be
singled out for raise Of $3.50 year.
Aside from the deputy sheriffs, how
ever, can see. no crying need for in
creases, yet it seems only fair that
these officers should have some adj
vanced remuneration" he added, in
to question.
Consider Pensioning Policemen
Next before the conference was the
hill providing for pensions for police
officers and creating fund out OF
which the pensions are to be paid.
'If We are going to take care, Of the
asked Representative c.
H. Cooke, why not take care Of our
firemen and aged bandsmen"
And aged legislators" supple
mented Speaker HOlstein.
Eyes, and faithful territorial and
county employees" added Cooke.
This ended the discussion on the
pension bill The bill provides that
cne-twentieth of one per cent of the
general revenues be created police
pension fund. Some of the legislators
expressed the belief that this was too
large.
Relative to bill which calls for the
election of one supervisor from each
district on Hawaii, as was the pro-
cedure four years ago Chairman Kau-
iane pointed out that this bill repre-
sents the desire of the people of the
Big Island. as far as he has been able
10 ascertain.