The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-06-21
VACANCY IN permit 1
OFFICE HALTS ALL
new RECONSTRUCTION
Architects and Builders Can Not
Get Authority To Do
Their Work
INSPECTOR CALLED INTO
ARMY REFUSES TO RESIGN
Believed Some Solution viii Be
Found BY Supervisors At
Meeting Saturday

As a result Of the situation through
which the office Of building inspector
has been left vacant no building per
mits have been issued in the past week
and q great mass Of documents and
plans accompanying applications for
permits is daily growing larger at the
building permit office. 1t means that
all building work for which permits
have not been issued must halt until
the mayor and supervisors find n solu-
ton of the problem confronting them.
L. G. Cain is still the building in.
spector, though he was called into fed
eral service with the national guard
and is seeking to qualify as a first lieu
tenant. Though he is now stationed at
Schofeld Barracks and therefore can
not attend to the duties of his Office
as building inspector, it is now appar-
ent that he docs not intend to resign.
Until be does resign no successor can
be appointed and no official will have
the authority to issue building permits.
Gains Position
1t is explained that Gains position
is that he believes that if he sends in
his resignation so that a successor can
be named, the possibility exists that
he may not qualify for the army and
this means that he will go back to civil
life minus his job. In this stand he
seems to have the support of w. C.
Woodward, superintendent of parks,
who has also gone into federal service
and who also Is holding on to his coun-
ty position.
AS result of the situation already
over $4,000 worth of new building
work is being held up in the building
permit office and this amount is in
creasing daily. 1t is felt that some i'm
mediate action must he taken and pres
sure is being brought to bear on the
mayor and supervisors by architects
and builders whose work is being held
up.
It was said last night that some solu
ton of the problem will be reached
by Saturday when the board of super
visors will hold its next meeting. The
problem has many angles.
1t is held that the supervisors may
not declare the position vacant, which
would enable the mayor to name a new
building inspector, as a territorial sta
tute provides that members Of the ma
tiOual guard who are called into fed
erad service do not forfeit Eheir posi-
tions. The board can. however, call for
the resignation by filing charges; but
it is unlikely that any basis exists for
charges Of any kind and it is not ex
pected that any action along this line
will be taken. The belief was express
ed last night by Supervisor Ben HOl-
linger that designations from both Cain
and Woodward would be forthcoming
by Saturday.
without doubt the situation in the
| permit office will have direct effect
on the building record for the month of
June. Up to the time Building In
| srertor Cain left the Office about June
| u n total of thirty permits for work
that will cost $33,55l vas issued. The
mass of applications and plans that has
accumulated in the office since the office
became vacant will run to over 100000
and includes work of all kinds from
minor alterations and additions costing
less than 800 up to jobs running over
$4,000. Most of the applications for
permits are for residences Of various
J sorts.