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 the
counties OF the territory were inform
| ally discussed Sunday by the commit
tee ehairmen of the house of represen'
tatiyes with three of the chairmen OF
boards of supervisors. Chairmen pre-
sent were Mayor John c. Lane, Samuel
Kauhane of Hawaii and H. 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 H. 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 your
county finances warrant the boost OF
such salaries, and SO on"
Hawaii County Is Considered
House Bills and so, relating TO
raises in pay for certain Hawaii
county officers, we're taken up first
| Senator Makekau, who was courteous
ly allowed by the speaker to express
his views, although it was strictly a
house conference, wanted the matters
o. salary raises for the Big Island re,
ferred to the Hawaii delegation.
Speaker HoIstein CURLY informed. him
that the house has no such organiZa-
ton. E. ~ --.~..-.
The argument boiled down to a dis
cussion of whether the salaries of
deputy clerks on Hawaii should be
| fixed by law, or left to the board OF
supervisors as at present. Represen-
tative Kelekolio and Makekan argued
that they should be fixed by law. The
point they made was that the super.
visors could cut down a salary at any
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 we're a business
like body, that they showed no favor.
itism and played no politics.
Lane Stands by Boards II.
Mayor John C. Lane expressed the
opinion that the legislature, by taking
a hand in the fixing of these saalriesi
would show a lack Of confidence In
the supervisors. He added he be-
lieved 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 SIS month, or an increase to $500
a year, Senator Makekau said he would
like to see the pay of the supervisors
raised to at least 500. z@
why not give enough salary to en-
able the supervisors to devote all Of
their time to the work of the county,"
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, ac-
eording to the feeling on the Garden
Island, all officials were entitled to
some additional compensation because
of increased duties and the advance
III the cost of living. He especially
urged that the deputy sheTiffs 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 reaAon, he
added, why the county clerk sfynld be
singled out for raise of $3.50 a 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
response to question. ~, +. j..
Consider Pensionine Policemen
Next before the conference was the
bill providing for pensions for police
officers and creating a fund out of
which the pensions are TO be paid
IF we are going to take care OF the
policemen" asked Representative G.
H. Cooke. why not take care of our
firemen and aged bandsmen? g..
And aged legislators" supple
mented Speaker Holstein.
Yes, and faithful territorial and
county employees added Cooke.
This ended the discussion On the
pension bill The bill provides that
one-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-
hane pointed out that this bill repre-
sents the desire of the people of the
Big Island. as far as lie has been able
to ascertain. L. "-.f