Ke Alakai o Hawaii, Volume IX, Number 21, 3 September 1936 — DEMOCRATIC 1936 PLATFORM URGES PLACING OF UTILITIES UNDER TERRITORIAL BOARD [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATIC 1936 PLATFORM URGES PLACING OF UTILITIES UNDER TERRITORIAL BOARD

(ĒDITOR'S NOTE—Although the 1936 Territoriai platform of the Bfemocratic party was prfctedm full m The Honolulu Adfvertiser, it U reprlnted here for the mformation of T>emocrats througfiout the Territory, with the »uggestion that it be c!ipped for future reference.) Education We hold thāt in a demooratic government, the people cannot be ignorant and fr4e; that free public education is the only present means of offering eq[ua! opportunities to all; that the cost of such should be borne by the people as a whole rather than as a special charge to those attending public schools, We therefore advocate the abolition of tuition fees and all other fees collected and administered by the schools except such fees as may be "approved. by the Govemor. We advocate book rental fees only t sufficient m amount to defray the cost of replacement, and we advocate public funds to insure a high grade of public" education in the Territory. Statehood As American government has never encompassed the theory of a subject people, we hold that logically and eventually Hawaii will be a state. We advocate a special election f or. a constitutional convention, the submission of a charter to the electorate, and when approved, the presentation of the ch"arter to the congress for admission of Hawaii into the union. Home Rule To eliminate the evils from the failure of the legislature ta reapportion, and to stop the practice of, the legislature mandating county governments, we advocate the amendment of the organic act to grant home rule to thfe counties of t h e territory, permitting legislation by any other county on loeal affairs within the limits of general law, and the restriction of the legislature to acts of general law. Social Security We advocate legislation to develop a broader scope of security and old age pensisns. 1 WoAmen*» Compensation We advocate the amendmeht'of the worltmen's eom-i pensation law, so that the benefits thereof may be extended to workmen receiving over $36, to provide more liberat disability compensation to all the insurance oi workmen by the territory. • _ .■'Twafw> w - . : We favor the raising of reveriue on the basis of abifity tc pay; the use of the federal schedule as the basis for levy under the territorial ineome tax law, the exemption of at least $50 a month for all groas ineome taxpayers, *the repeal of the poll tax; a drastic reduction of the automobile weight tax, and the restriction of all automobile taxes and fuel taxes for use only on maintenance and construction of highways, and the funding of bonds used in such construction. Public UtUities We advocate the placement of all loeal public utilities under the control of the loeal public utilities commission and thereby endeavor to obtain lower freight rates on is]&nd produce. Hour» of Labor

We advocate a 40-hour week for all governmental employcs without. reduction of earnings, and Ihe en|couragment of these hours and conditions for private industry. Employment We advocate the adoption of the federal ciassification system in its entirety for the compensation and rating of all g.overnment employes. Public Works We advocate the establishment aifd maintenance of adequatc publc \vorks to maīntam a halanee of unemployincreasing in volume in depresision and curtailment as private industry is able to absorb the unemployed. Commi»«ioiu We advocate the reduction by consolidation, \vhorever practicable» of the number of commisslons now estahii*hod for.the conduct of government; their dutles to be assigned to the rcgular establfehed departmenU, Housing We advocatc legislation to eneourage a better type of low-cost housliig and to eliminaie slums in cities a n d tOWQS.' * . ' Tr*ffic safety We aavocate further legislation to produee safer dri\ - ing ou highways. Diver«fi«d F*rmmg We advncftte appropriate mea'sures to enoourage and :extend divers!fied farming in order to make the terrttory more self-sustaining and we endorse the of tho present federal adnnnistration carried oUt by the L'ni versity of Hawai, department o.f pubHc iu6t.ruction anu other «gereies ?o teaeh nraetieAl aud profHable agriculture to the people of the territory. ; Fire !nsurance As fire insuranee pretn!ums &re to<? Mgh for the losses Hawaii, we advocate the esUblishment of ,a territorial fire insurance bureau. Delegate , « We b<Slieve that one representative of Hawaii in Washiagton is inadequate and therefore advocate the appoīntmeat by the governor of a eongressioMl a&*tstant to the delegate to congrm. S**bcrita to THE HAWAH DEMOcIVT