Territorial Department of Public Works

Corporate body

Territorial Department of Public Works

1900-06/1959

Department of Interior: Bureau of Public Works: 1845 - June 1900

Laws enacted in 1845 and 1846 established the Department of Interior to manage the Kingdom of Hawaii's internal affairs.

One of the responsibilities of the Department of Interior, which was headed by the Minister of Interior, was the management and supervision of internal improvements undertaken by the Hawaiian government.

The Minister of Interior had the authority, with the approval of the King in Privy Council, to appoint a Superintendent of Public Works to assist him in directing the Kingdom's internal improvements.

From 1855-1857, the Bureau of Public Improvement was a part of the Department of War. It then, once again, became a part of the Department of Interior.

In the pre-Territorial period, the Superintendent of Public Works, as the executive in charge of the Bureau of Public Works, was responsible for government buildings, prisons, pounds, harbors, piers, wharves, lighthouses, beacons, sewage systems, electric lights, and certain roads and bridges.

The Superintendent of Public Works was also responsible for constructing public laundries and wash houses, acquiring and preserving heiaus and puuhonuas or the sites and remains, and producing surveys, maps, and plans of government lands, harbors, and internal improvements, as needed by the public.

The varied duties of the Superintendent of Public Works were not all assigned at the same time.

The last two Superintendents of Public Works were Julius H. Smith, serving from 1884 to August 1887, and William E. Rowell, who served from August 1887 to June 1900.

Territorial Department of Public Works: 1900-1913

The Organic Act for the Territory of Hawaii, which became effective in June 1900, abolished the office of the Minister of Interior (Section 8) and empowered the Governor of Hawaii, with the consent of the Territorial Senate, to appoint a Superintendent of Public Works for the Territory of Hawaii (Section 80).

John A. McCandless was appointed as the first Territorial Superintendent of Public Works on June 14, 1900, succeeding William E. Rowell, who had served from August 1, 1887. Upon McCandless' appointment, Rowell became Assistant Superintendent of Public Works.

McCandless served as Superintendent of Public Works from June 14, 1900 - May 4, 1901 and was followed by: James H. Boyd (May 4, 1901 - December 2, 1902); Henry E. Cooper (December 6, 1902 - November 18, 1903); C.S. Holloway (November 25, 1903 - November 1, 1907); Marston Campbell (November 1, 1907 - November 1, 1912); Herbert K. Bishop (November 1, 1912 - May 2, 1913) and J.W. Caldwell (May 2, 1913 - August 15, 1914).

Under Section 75 of the Organic Act, the Superintendent of Public Works succeeded to the powers and duties of the Minister of Interior relating to streets, highways, harbor improvements, wharves, landings, waterworks, railways, electric light and power, telephone lines, fences, pounds, brands, weights and measures, fires and fireproof buildings, parks and cemeteries, and other grounds and lands previously under the control and management of the Minister of Interior.

The Superintendent also assumed the powers and duties of the Minister of Finance and Collector General of Customs relating to pilots and harbor masters.

The legal powers and duties of the Superintendent of Public Works were radically changed in subsequent years. The following is a chronological list of some of the laws that affected the duties of the Territorial Superintendent of Public Works 1900-1913.

1901 - Act 7: This act authorized the Superintendent of Public Works to name all streets, roads, and lanes in the district of Honolulu.

1901 - Act 8: This law assigned the job of numbering of buildings in Honolulu to the Superintendent of Public Works.

1904 - Act 6: The Superintendent of Public Works was assigned the duty to direct and superintend the cleaning of Honolulu's public streets, remove and dispose of garbage, clean cesspools, and make connections of premises with Honolulu's public sewer.

1905 - Act 39: County Act - This act turned over to the respective County Boards of Supervisors the power to "open, construct, maintain and close up public streets, highways, roads, alleys, trails and bridges within its boundaries." However, no street, highway, road, or bridge could be constructed without the location, grade, and method of any material to be used in the construction first receiving the approval of the Superintendent of Public Works. Act 39 also authorized the counties to "construct, purchase, take or lease or otherwise acquire building for County purposes, sewers, pumping stations, waterworks, including reservoirs, wells, pipelines and other conduits."

1905 - Act 21: This act amended Act 6 of 1904 to include any city, town, or village in the Territory of Hawaii.

1905 - Act 93, Section 3: Road Taxes were to be paid out by the Territorial Treasurer to the appropriate County Treasurers.

1905 - Act 9: The Superintendent of Public Works was authorized to provide U.S. flags to schools and courts in the Territory.

1905 - Revised Laws, Section 250: As affirmed by Hawaii's Supreme Court, the Superintendent of Public Works was authorized to issue patents for lands under the control of his Department.

1907 - Act 67: This act extended the power of eminent domain to the counties.

1907 - Act 118: This act incorporated the City and County of Honolulu.

1907 - Act 125: The board of supervisors of each county was authorized to build and maintain animal pounds.

1909 - Act 100: Additional County Functions - This act assigned to the counties the powers to: establish and maintain waterworks and sewerworks; collect rates for water supplied for use of sewers; place signs on bridges as required by law; take over from the Territory existing waterworks systems; and build schools, court houses, hospitals and jails.

1909 - Acts 105 & 112: Honolulu Water Works - These two acts empowered the Superintendent of Public Works to set water and sewer rates and install water meters in order to make the Honolulu Water & Sewer Works financially self-sufficient.

1909 - Act 33: Money was made available to the Superintendent of Public Works to conduct hydrographic surveys.

1909 - Act 79: This act made the City and County (Honolulu) responsible for regulating where noisome trades or manufacturers could be constructed.

1909 - Act 98: Relating to Powers and Duties of the Boards of Supervisors - The Counties were to make and enforce ordinances covering all local police matters and all matters of sanitation, inspection of building, condemnation of unsafe structures, plumbing, sewers, dairies, milk, fish, cemeteries, burying grounds, internment of the dead and morgues, and the collection and disposition of rubbish and garbage.

1911 - Act 80: This act added the installation of water meters to the list of County functions.

1911 - Act 13: The control of construction and maintenance of sidewalks was transferred to the Counties.

1911 - Act 81: Testing of weights and measures was transferred to the purview of the sheriff of each County.

1911 - Act 163: This act created a Board of Harbor Commissioners to control all territorial harbors. This five-member commission was to be chaired by the Superintendent of Public Works as an ex-officio member.

1911 - Act 58: Livestock brands were to be registered by the County or City and County sheriff.

1911 - Act 100: All public parks and public recreation grounds in the Territory, with the exception of Kapiolani Park and Makiki Park or Reservation, were transferred to the control of the board of supervisors of the respective counties.

1913 - Act 107: Supervision, charge and control of public streets and highways transferred from the Superintendent of Public Works to the County Board of Supervisors, including the authority to name streets.

1913 - Act 97: This act amended Act 67 of the Laws of 1907 by extending the counties' power of eminent domain to include obtaining private property for public schools, hospitals, jails, court houses, police and fire stations, city halls, office and other public buildings, cemeteries, parks, and playgrounds.

1913 - Act 135: The duties of the Superintendent of Public Works regarding supervision of utility companies were transferred to a public utilities commission.

1913 - Act 136: Government supervision of the Honolulu Rapid Transit shifted from the Superintendent of Public Works to the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of Honolulu.

1913 Act 138 & 139: As a result of these acts, the Honolulu Water and Sewer Works Fund transferred on June 30, 1914, from the Territory of Hawaii to the City and County of Honolulu.

1913 Act 56: The Board of Agriculture & Forestry was authorized to create and maintain a division of hydrography.

A 1903 Presidential Proclamation transferred control of lighthouses in the Hawaiian Islands to the Federal Government.

These various actions, from 1900-1913, shifted many of the duties delegated to the Superintendent of Public Works by the Organic Act of 1900 to the County government, the Federal government, and other departments within the Territorial government, greatly narrowing the scope of the Superintendent of Public Works' duties.

Organic Act for the Territory of Hawaii, 1900.

The Report of the Superintendent of Public Works to the Legislature for the year ending June 30, 1902, contains a detailed description of the Department of Public Works. The following information on the organization of the Department of Public Works, as it then existed, is from that report.

The Superintendent of Public Works was the department head. Besides those duties previously mentioned, he was responsible for hiring department employees and directing "the management and duties of the Bureaux and Divisions of the Department."

The Assistant Superintendent of Public Works was responsible for the management of "various lines of public improvements." He disbursed funds for work he supervised and it was also ''within his province" to suggest to the Superintendent ideas for improvement projects.

The Chief Clerk supervised the department's clerical staff.

Bureau of Water Works: The Superintendent of Water Works had "general charge and supervision of the water supply of the City of Honolulu, Island of Oahu." He regulated water rates, hours for irrigation, and other matters relating to water consumption.

Separate water bureaus, whose chiefs reported directly to the Department office, were located on the Island of Hawaii at Hilo and Laupahoehoe, on Maui at Wailuku and Kahului, and at Koloa, Kauai.

Bureau of Honolulu Roads: The Road Supervisor for the District of Kona, Island of Oahu, managed the construction and maintenance of streets, roads, highways, and bridges in his district. He was also responsible for quarries.

Bureau of Road Boards: Semi-independent road boards were responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, and public highways in their taxation districts.

Bureau of Harbor Master: The Harbor Masters' duties were to anchor, moor, and make fast all vessels in the harbors. They also collected wharfage; documented arrivals and departures of all vessels, and distributed port regulations to each vessel's commanding officer.
Bureau Board of Fire Commissioners: This three-member board was charged with the general care and supervision of the Fire Department.

Bureau Clerk of Markets: This Bureau collected market fees and fines; designated uses and purposes of stalls and stands; prescribed rules and regulations regarding cleanliness of stalls and stands; and inspected weights and measures used by these businesses.

Bureau Electrical Inspector: This Bureau prepared maps showing street locations of electrical circuits; chose electrical safety devices; had the authority to approve installation of isolated electrical plants; prepared plans, specifications, and contracts for the purchase and installation of governmental electrical construction on public roads and highways.

Bureau Territorial Electric System: This Bureau managed the government-owned electric system and lighting circuits. Supervision of the fire and police telegram and alarm system was one of this bureau's other duties.

Bureau Garbage and Excavator Service: This Bureau was responsible for the daily garbage collection in the city (Honolulu). It also was responsible for "the distribution of the excavator services as required by the public."

Bureau House Numbering: This Bureau enforced the rules and regulations promulgated by the Superintendent of Public Works relating to the official numbering of houses and buildings in the city of Honolulu.

Road Boards and the Honolulu Supervisor of Roads

On November 25, 1887, King Kalakaua signed into law a bill "to amend the law concerning Road Supervisors and the disposition of the Road Tax, and to establish local road boards, and define their duties." This act created semi-autonomous road boards which were to build and maintain all roads, bridges and public highways within their respective districts.

The 1887 law authorized the Minister of Interior to appoint "three competent residents" to compose each respective road board. In subsequent years, road board members were elected (1890), appointed by the Minister of Interior "in the event of a failure to elect" (1893-94 Laws) and, finally, appointed by the Governor (Organic Act, 1900).

Road boards were established in every taxation district in the Hawaiian Islands, except in Honolulu (Kona district, Island of Oahu) (1887 Laws and 1893-94 Laws Act 65).

The Superintendent of Public Works rendered such assistance as required by the respective road boards in designing and making specifications for bridges, or the execution of any engineering work. Road tax funds were paid out only by drafts through the Department of Public Works upon the order of the chair of the road board and signed by one other member of the respective road board. At the end of each quarter, the chairman of each road board sent to the Superintendent of Public Works a detailed statement of the work done in his district during the quarter and also a detailed financial statement, setting forth all receipts and expenditures, accompanied by vouchers for all expenditures.

Under certain specific conditions, road could be constructed without involving the road boards. Act 82, 1890 Laws, stated that any new roads or bridges, the construction of which were funded by appropriations outside of the road taxes, could be constructed by the Minister of Interior (in subsequent years, the Superintendent of Public Works) without reference to the district road boards.

As a result of Act 65, 1893-94 Laws, the Superintendent of Public Works replaced the Minister of Interior as the authority who appointed a road supervisor for the district of Kona, Oahu (Honolulu). The Honolulu Road Supervisor, who was under the supervision and control of the Superintendent of Public Works, expended the road taxes and monies appropriated by the Legislature for the district of Kona, Oahu.

The road boards and the Honolulu Road Supervisor functioned until their duties were assumed by the County governments.

Created on 2001-05
Revised on 2020-11-04

• English

Public Works, 1845-1913, finding aid in Government Records Inventories.
Guide to Government in Hawaii. Honolulu: 11th ed. Legislative Reference Bureau, 1996.

2001-05: Created (Public Works Division in DAGS finding aid).
2020-11-04, Joel Horowitz: Entered into AtoM. Information from the Public Works (1845-1900) finding aid was added to the Public Works Division (DAGS) description. That finding aid only contained information up to 1913, the approximate end of the DAGS7 record series, although the authority is also the creator of descriptions dated between 1915 and 1959 later received by the Public Works Division.