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

Eneineer Collins referring to thequalifcations OF
TIE fture city engineer states number OF truths
that have been ,coincident with successful manage
i inent ever since the world began to grow.
TIE curious part Of the situation is that anyone
should assume that the work of the city could pos
L ibly 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-
ineled 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
/ a 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 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
lOf the committees having these departments on
their mind have sometimes acted as if each depart
inent was little kuleana which should be run all
|by itself and no move made without the direction
|6f the committee chairman, who was also the ex-
Elusive spokesman at meetings OF the supervisors
Instead of cooperation between the departments
there has been q tendency towards jealousy. -.
During the session of the last legislature bust
|hess11en who interested themselves in the develop
hient of what has come to be the million dollar
road building program were surprised and almost
|6bpaled to discover that there had been little or
'ro cooperation between the engineering and the
water and sewer departments. Each was going
ahead on scheme Of its own, commendable and
moving knowledge of the situation, but heading
towards absolute failure on account OF the lack OF
|correlation in d comprehensive scheme As super.
yisors did not get toge her the heads Of depart
nents did not get together, and the principal task
of the businessmen was to put these excellent ideas
IA proper shape get the city administration togeth
e, IN other words do the obvious, common sense
hing and put 1t through
Management Is what the city needs assuming
that the heads Of departments are competent.
Nhether this management shall be brought about,
through the direct activities of the supervisors or
reater responsibility LEFT with the heads of depart
nents, is for the supervisors to determine. Every
han who has had anything to do with business
FAIRS larger than d peanut stand knows what, on
eneral principles would be the better method But
& eli events there must be cooperation between theI
departments. Otherwise the attempt at manage
6ent must be an utter failure
Not forgetting; that 1T all times the men mi
Large Of the city administration should Be picked
0r their ability to do the task and not for their
|bility to talk partizan politics and thus waste
public money