The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-03-12
The New Post Office from Il Native
View.

The Ku Okoa (independant native newspaper)
of the 9Th inst, has an article on the subject OF
the new Post Office building, now in course OF
erection. AS representing the views of intelligent
native Hawaiians in regard to the disposition of
the public moneys-a subject upon which nobody
has a better right to speak and to be heard, than
themselves-we translate a portion of the article
ssTbe legislature of 1868, appropriated the sum Of
! nine thousand dollars for the building of n new Post
Office, but it is now reported that the building Is to
be of three stories. The inquiry suggests itself TO us,
can so large a building be completed for the sum
of nine thousand dollars? We rather think not.
81 1T is further said, that the two upper stories are
TO be set apart for the use of the Government Press
But, nowhere, in the appropriation Bill, IS there
found any provision for a building for the Govern
ment Press. Where is the right of the Ministers to
undertake work that has not been definitely author
lied by the Legislature2 Is it simply because they
wish 10 sweH the expenditures or why is it?
I'VE have heard from good authority, that only
half of the lower floor is to be devoted to the purposes
of the Post Office Department, the other half to be let
to any one who wishes to hire it. We doubt very
much the soundness of this plan, and We ask, where
are to be placed the letters of the Hawaiian redskins
who are the rightful owners of this neglected land?
Are they to be stuck away into some little corner of
an excresceEce of the main building, in the style Of a
shed Of the older times, used as a place of deposit for
calabashes ! (waiho hulilau paipu) No. We demand
that the entire lower story of the building be devoted
to the purposes of the Post Office Department, and
that alone. Let an ample appropriation be made Tor
the Department. Let the office be divided into two
equal apartments, one for the foreign letters, and the
other for us, the natives. There should also be IN
the native department all the facilities that are now
to be seen in the foreign department., such as lock-
boxes to be let out, and a revolving place of deposit
for call-letters. There should also be a separate clerk
for the native department, who should be constantly
at his POST, to answer inquiries from natives, during
regular Office hours.
"We do not wish to see our native Hawaiian de-
partment in any way inferior as to space or cOnven-
fence, to the other department, because the country as
ours, the building is ours, and ours is the money
that goes to pay for its erection. We, the people OF
Hawaii, desire to have equal rights and privileges,
under this our own government, with the foreigners,
not to be crushed down as people of no consequence,
and showed to the wall. Therefore, let this request
be looked to, and let the whole lower floor of the new
building be devoted to the business of the Post Office
Department.
1--WE entreat you, members of the incoming Legis-
ture, to be awake and closely observant of the cum
ming doings of the Ministers. Do not too easily
excuse them for their excessive expenditure of money,
otherwise this easy indulgence becomes a precedent SO
that eventually, they will assume it as a right BE
men, and keep a ~vigilant eye upon the conduct OF the
affairs of our government, so that we do not become
involved in debt and entangled in various projects.
Consider well 20