Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-02-22

appoint commission of fifteen to frame
charter which be submitted to plebscite, and i'll
carried transmitted the Legislature
for approval In of its rejection another
fifteen be similarly appointed draft another charter
which in be submitted pebiscie and if
red, transmitted the Legislature Similarly. third
commission The House tabled that bill the ground that
the small attendance public hearing the same afforded
assurance that the people of the City and County desired
charter
In 1915, the Legislature passed Act providing for
Convention of sixtyour members to be elected numbers
Of from four from each of the twennne election pre-
ccts of the City and County prepare charter
to be submitted the Legislature OF 1917 tAc o. Laws OF
1879.
Later the year. but before the Convention met
for the purpose of having uptodate charter submit
of appointed by the Municipal Research
Club and consisting of former Governor w F. Frear car
mani Judges c. W. Ashford and w. l. Whitney former
Attorney General C. H. Hemeway former Supervisor w. H.
Mcclellan and Messrs l. NJ Judd and A. H. Tarleton
framed charter which endorsed by that Club and
with several minor amendments by the Chamber of Commerce
That committee utilized considerable extent the results of
the work OF the conference Of representatives of
CARNATIONS referred to above.
Former Senator W. c. Achi member of Convention,
also prepared proposed charter rather proposed Act
in the amendments the Municipal Act for SUBJ
mission the Convention. sssesE !
third proposed charter understood have been pre-
pared by other supposed to be chiefly Messr Lorrn
Andrews and Harry T. Murray submission to the Coiven
ton. This however not the others introduced
in the Convention and referred the committee appointed to
consider and proposed charters but presented
and with further amendments adopted by the Convention,
and presumably will be submitted the Legislature which
about to convene.
THE CHARTER CONVENTION.
The results of the Charter Convention such
commend themselves those who have the best interests of
the ety and County heart who had hoped that
progressive step might be taken Perhaps better lua
has been afforded in Hawai- of the possibilities and dan
gers of machine politics. given the opportunity 1t seemed
plain throughout that group of political leaders planned
capture the Convention and put through charter designed
of the community
The election of the members Of the Convention from the
smallest available subdvsons-he tweny-nine election pre-
cnctsfacitaed the application of the weknown methods
Of the ward system and the machine politicians secured
troll Of the Convention.
If the press reports be relied the work of the Con-
venion and of its charter committee largely process of
raroadng The of the charter referred
mttee of fifteen which referred it subcommittee
of FIVE Apparently consideration was given the
mnorites of these committees of the Convention Re-
quests for hearing were made on behalf the Chamber of
Commerce and the Civic Federation A date finally
for the hearing and representatives of those organiza
tons attended prepared present their views but all except
about three Of the majority of the Convention kept from
the meeting and there quorum An attempt
second date for the hearing received from
the majority
proposed by their woudbe leaders, the provision
for the election Of the Supervisors by wards
As the sessions proceeded, many members becoming dis
gusted ceased attending attended only rarely
On the second reading only half 81 of 63 actual
OF possbe) Of members of the Convention present
and many sections of the charter adopted group by
single vote and without reading
On the final reading which had been adopted
the beginning of the Convention requiring majority of all
the members the final the completed charter
amended, by of Is a. permit the adoption
of the charter final by majority merely of those who
present Them after portion of the charter had been
read. further reading dispensed with and the charter
whole adopted by of ~ to 9, the minority pro-
testing against what they characterized gag rule of
them the leaving the hail. and the leader of the
majority according newspaper accounts endeayorng
plain the pursued by saying that they had do
thing s4sf s*ss
Thus retrogressive charter adopted by railroad meth
DDS by vote of fotwo per of the membership of
convention that could hardly be regarded representative of
the people of the City and County whole and the wisdom
of the last Legislature requiring the charter be sub
United to the next Legislature demonstrated. s.
PROPOSED CHARTERS