Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-10

;stered voters on this island NUMBER,
81 s526 3111 in the 5th district ano
3415 in the 4th district. This year
The voters registered in the 4th dis
trict are 5s45, and in the 5th dislrlc'
$40. 4or d total of 11.S15, an increase
in Il wears OF 47S9 voters.
Payment Of Real Property Taxes
Bearing these figures IN MIND let Us
examine the list of persons paylhs
taxes on real property on the lslan 10
of Oahu. These figures include Wo.
men as well as men, and corporations
as well as individuals.
In 1914 there were 1926 of such tax
PAYERS. and this year the number mas las
Increased to 1854, an increase OIL olzo
taxpayers in ID years.
OF these taxpayers in 1917. the cor
noratjons number 265, leaving lS9 IN
diyiduals. II we can assume that q
woman or an alien who pays taxes on
land can influence one voter who, does
not pay taxes, we may safely say that
there are approximately 1883 voters
cut of a total registration of ll,5lo
who are financially interested IN a
nroper tax rate and i'll the proper ex-
nenditure of tax moneys. The irres'
ponsible voter has not Increased In
number in 13 years. A day spent mo.
toring through the town precincts OF
tie CITY will show anyone the great
number of homes which are sprlnglng
up in all sections. These homes are
themselves an argument that our cleo,
torate is ready to handle the tax rate.
The wage Gamer who owns his own
home and who has to save from his
wages the money to pay the taxes on
bis home,g is just as safe man IN THIS
regard as the man who pays his taxes
with the money returned from invest
ments. ~ :.
Power of Condemnation Unused -"
The power of the city to condemn
private property for public uses mas
never vet been exercised or attempt
eG to be exercised, and county gov
eminent is Il years old. The stat
utes governing the procedure in emln-
ent domain were not drafted IN 1896
with the idea that any instrumental
ity of government except a central
power would ever need such proee-
dure, and up to this year no amend
ments to the law were obtained, max
ing the procedure applicable to the
uses of our city. The city has had
to get the governors consent to let
the attorney general bring a suit for
the superintendent of public works in
the name OF the Territory for what
was really not the Territory's affair
This cumbersome machinery is no
doubt responsible for the fact that the
case of Campbell VS.. Steiner GO Haw.
1861 in 1911 was never retired. This
was the suit brought to condemn prop.
erty for the extension mauka of Bishop
street, and al, that was decided by
the supreme court was that the suit
should have been brought by the Ter
ritory and Lot 10y the superintendent
of public works.
Good Charter Revision
Charter revision of the right sort
x.s attempted by the pc 5sage of Act
los by the 1917 Legislature. This new
statute has amended the eminent 90
main law of procedure SO that it now
seems possible for the city to go ahead
and do its condemning as the city's
Leeds may require. IL new streets are
needed and are not opened UP, we can
hold the supervisors responsible. This
has not been so in the past. Our char
ter should be revised so that this same
responsibility can directly attach for
every one of the city's needs. We
must get for ourselves as a city, the
needed powers We must trust the
city government fully with these pow
ers. All CHARGER tinkering by legisla-
ton enactment which curtails the
Of the city or. deprives the
of responsibility should be
stopped. This tinkering will go on,
however, until public opinion against
it rises up to stop it. This opinion
must be based upon the full city
idea. -.... .-.4 -.
Real charter revision should begin
with an intimate study of our own po- !
litical conditions. The study of tBer-
kelley, Des Moines and Galveston is |
of great advantage, but a knowledge !
of Honolulu is i, Indispensable
Idea Wrong
1t does not help the city idea TO
lave Nuuanu street abruptly cut the
city into two representative districts.
| have spoken of this often and. will
not repeat the story here. With more
than half of the voters of the Terri |
tory now residents of this one island, !
he reapportionment of senators and I
in the legislature can
lot be much longer postponed. When |
his subject becomes live issue, the |
adjustment Of the districts should be so |
made as to not. only do away with the
Did feeling between the 4th and 5th |
district town precincts, but also to &C.
nent all the town precincts closer to-
gether in a true community of in
Lerest -" -.
Our city of Honolulu can never
mean much to us until the city has
Ill the powers of an American NUM-
,ipal corporation Then we can hold
he city government esponsibfe and