The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-06-15
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
S4TERDAY Y, JUNE Is.
The agricultural society Again.


The Ga-ene Of this week has a lengthy article,
in which it states that the President of the Sc
cicty has been earnestly trying t. lease a plot Of
ground Immediately HaalRd Of the premises Of
the late Judge Robertson. Mr.. Armstrong. Mrs.
Dominis and General Miller" for a public Gar
den. But why not come out with all he facts
in the ctse and state that the President of the
Society, having purchased for himself a lot OF
ground in fee simple. mauka IF Mrs. Armstrong;.
for a building lot, TroIsoed to lease another lot
alongside Of has for the purpose of a public gar
den To be improved ut the expense Of the Agricul-
tural Society. Finding the popular current
rather strong against his plans, he has sold the
lot he purchased of Mrs. Armstrong at a hand
some advance, and is now probably ready to try
some other locality.
Now this is all wrong. and only goes TO prove
what we have cndelvored 10 show before. that
the Society and its funds are being used only to
further pirate interests and 1.-the gardens of
private parties" more than to benefit the public
at large. We say the officers have no business
To tease land for any term of years whatever, To
be- stocked with rare and costly trees and plants,
and to be improved year after year with all the
available funds of the Society. Every year will
enhance the value Of city property, surrounding n
public garden, as well as the valuefof the garden
itself; and the above plot of four acres, which
may now be worth only four thousand dollars,
might, at the end of fifty years, he worth ten
atcountable stupidity to advocate such a plan as
the proposed lease of land for a public garden?
There are good tracts near the city which are
,n.l.I1 ,y.1.lIa -, L.. :. NE.I.,I, -,
that inquiry will show that on Liliha street
the soil of which il the richest on the island
there are good sites, and if one can he had run
ming from that street to the Nuuanu stream, and
uE the line of n road which ought to he opened
through To Nuuana ST., it would be ali the better.
Then there is " Thomas square, lying next
to C.. f.. Williams residence, on the Waikiki
plain, and extending from King to Bcretania
streets. We do not know its exact size, but pre-
sumo il contains four or five acres at least. Gov
eCnnIent would doubtless give the perpetual use
of this ground to the Society free of charge, if
the latter will fence and improve it. The Ga
%eHe's windmills will work as well here as on the
Queen Dowager's plot, and have the advantage of
having neighbor windmills.
Then there is the large lot of John Ii, on the
west corner, where the road to Waikiki branches
off from King street. This is 4 very suitable lot,
and has the advantage of low land, so low and
moist that cane grows on it all the year round,
the water being within three or four feet of The
surface. Perhaps the adjoining land can be pur-
chased up to Capt. Luce's premises, which would
give some twenty acres or more. The distance
from the Post Office is a mile and n half-somc-
what of a walk, to he sure, but for all that it
would soon become a favorite resort, there being
an excellent road To it.
These suggestions are simply hints thrown out
for the benefit of those who have the control Of
the selection of the new garden. There are other
tracts quite as good rs either of those mentioned,
and if there is any disposition to use the funds of
the Society for the bcncSt of all concerned and
not for that of private parties alone, there
can be no trouble about selecting and Glying a
good site for a public garden.