Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-22
PLANS TO keep
UNFIT MENOUT
OF CITYS JOBS

So far Supervisor E. A. Mott
Smith stands alone in his plan to CO
ordinate the city management, max
ing all departments answerable to one
head
"a expected opposition" he said re-
Gently. Il was pretty sure a general
cry would go up that the job would be
too big for one man tol handle. But
that is all poppycock. Although Homo
lulu city and county work takes In the
entire island, a great deal outside OF
Honolulu proper comes under terri
torial management The engineer, as
the one person responsible for all the
city and county work, would have out
side the city limits only the handling
of public buildings, and the sewer and
water works, and some OF the road
work. BY making one man respons-
ible for everything it would do away
with the conflict that goes on all tie
time among the heads Of departments
and Danish entirely petty politics. No
more men would be put into jobs for
which they are wholly unfit just be-
cause they happen to be political
henchman for the head of some de-
partment. No one who did not come
up to the engineers efficiency require
ments could be employed.
The superintendent of water and
sewerage, the superintendent of parks
and Fairgrounds, as we'll as some OF
the other heads of departments would
have to be continued, and the heads
made responsible for the work under
them, and answerable to the engineer.
As for the engineer himself, If he
proved inefficient, he would simply
have to go, and man who could do
the work put in his place. know the
work can be done by one man, and
believe our present engineer, Mr.. Can
tin, is the man. have every conf
dence in him, but I've told him frank
ly that if he couldn't do the work he
wasn't the man. =,
"The board of supervisors would
still be the legislative heads of their
respective departments. / don't want
to take any of their work away from
them. Ben Hollinger thinks l do.
wouldn't take one bit Of Ben's work
away from him for anything. He's
doing it too we'll. He's doing splendid
work and he deserves, and / think he
has, the gratitude of the entire COM
munity, particularly in connection
with the parks. / want him to keep
it up; nobody could do it better.
Under my plan the work OF the
city would be all centered. If it
should prove to the city's interest to.
lay down a water main or a sewer
pipe in a certain district there would
not have to be the haggling that now
exists before the streets and road
heads would give their consent 70
have the work done. If an appropria-
ton for certain work in any depart
ment was essential, it could be made
without having to fight the heads OF
all the other departments who might,
at that time, have each some particlF
lar but far less important something
under way for which an appropriation
was desired. 1t is purely move for
efficiency, and through%f / am going
to see how many of the board really
stand for efficiency" - ..
Ben Hollinger says he can't see how
1t can be done. - -
81 believe In concentration of eff
fort" he says. 81 put my department
parks, schools and Fairgrounds, under
one head, and it has proved a most
satisfactory move. But do not think
one man should be given the RESPONSE
bility of the entire city and county of
Honolulu. The territory is too big. 1t
would give the engineer too much to
do. and it Would leave the heads of
various departments, as well as the
supervisors, too little to do. We
would find ourselves unable to do any
thing for the good of the community.