The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-02-15
Public Spirit.

IN our last weeks issue, under the above
heading, have attracted the attention OF
those who are interested as mechanics, as
well as others whose desire is like our own,
10 promote the public good. If it should
happen that thought may be provoked,
and action may follow those thoughts,
our q mission" will be accomplished. Nor
would We slight, in any way, the observa-
tions made by our contemporary, the Id
0ortiser, in It's issue of the 18th inst, al
though We are sorry to see little dispo-
sition TO recur to epithets and a style of
writing which have hitherto been avoided
under the management of its present
proprietors. We pass by, therefore, those
remarks, simply saying that it is impossi-
bic 10 see what the " Constitution under
which we are bound " has to do with the
price Of labor, OF the disposition of people
to do business in shanties instead of re-
spectacle and safe buildings, and further
remark that it Is not evident that the
Ministry have particular ring of friends
10 reward and if such should be the
fact, 1t would be no particular reason why
persons offering a fair days work for
fair days wage, should not tempt others
10 undertake improvements; or, on the
other hand, why persons should not I'M
dertake Improvements for the benefit of
their own property, the advancement of
their own business, the accommodation of
their own employees, the protection of
their own stocks, and the qualification of
their own proper pride. But it is
stated that mechanics now in this city
can not make full time, and owing to the
cost of living are unable to put by for a
rainy day the extra dollar" &c, and that
too though labor Is dear and work is
plentiful Now, we have not said that
work Is plentiful, but we did say that
people were deferred from undertaking
enterprises because labor was dear and a
fair days work is not given for fair
days wage So that if they can not
make full time, the difficulty lies directly
At the point that men are fearful of under
taking large enterprises when they know
the work viii be prolonged over an I'M
reasonable time, and their structures will
be unreasonably costly, and their money
remain for a long time unproductive by
reason Of the delays OF building. 1t can
not be denied that if any party should
undertake the construction of a large
building, and more especially if the Gov
crnmeat should do so, other parties
would be very cautious, under the cir
cumstances of labor as it is in this city |
to-day, how they undertook another costly |
structure lest they might be kept out of
their building for months, and lest they
he worried to death by seeing two, three, |
or four men on their walls working in |
most leisurely manner, and awaiting them
selves Of every excuse for shortening both |
the effectiveness aud time of their labor
And again. the cost of living is spoken |
Of Wherein does this cost of living con
sisis Not certainly in the price of the |
necessaries Of life; but the man who pays
from thiry-fye to forty-fve dollars
thousand for lumber aud four dollars for
dong a short days work mnst, of neces-
sity, charge more fer the rent of his house
50 built, than if it was put to him at fair
proc.
It cauHo, be denied that the facts
above sisted. do prevent men of moderate
means from making even small improve
merits 1t is a matter of serious considera-
Gon 10 a man whether he will erect the
rides; kind of structure ont of unpianed
boards, only six by eight. And a very
near friend of ours vas obliged to pay
thirty dollars for Just such struc-
tare On complaining to a neighbor upon
what he thought to be a misfortune, he
was much comforted by the contemplation
Of bills. for over hundred dollars for
similar structure 1t is fair, however, to
state that the neighbor had the boards of
his structure planned. The building of a
hen-ooop. in this town, is an enterprise for
4 man Of moderate means, and if he were
70 build a large one and haveit painted, it
would very likely bankrupt him.