The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-08-02
THE PACIFIC
Commercial 9bbertiser.
AUGUST >
A PUBLIC MARKET.

For some time past there has been a good deal
of complaint by tOwns-people on account of the
obstruction Of the streets, the noise, and the lit
ter Occasioned by the dealers in vegetables, poi,
hogs and fowls. These have congregated at par
ticular localities, on the streets, where they have
been tacitly allowed to do so for years, until the
custom has grown to be considered as a right,
and the order to move ON =" is regarded as n
tyrannical usurpatiOn of power. This was doubt
less the feeling among many of the market-men
on Saturday last, when they were compelled by
the order of the police to vacate their accustomed
corners ON Hotel and other central streets, and
move down to the open space below and in the
neighborhOod of Queen street.
While the practice Of occupying the sidewalks
by market-men in the vending of their wares is
in many respects Objectionable, 1t may be prop
erly urged that it is the duty of Government to
provide and set apart suitable market places.
This is dne TO the public, whose convenience and
necessities in this particular are more involved
than those of the market-men. In the present
instance, the result of ordering off the dealers
from their usual haunts has been to interrupt
supplies to n great extent, for several days, the
Chinese vegetable men having with characteristic
ODSIlndcJ EtAuScu comply VIII luc HcN Eules-
This will not however be likely to last long, and
We hear that some of them propose to hire the
vacant lot on Hotel street opposite Union street,
and erect a building for 4 vegetable market. In
former years, il has evidently been contemplated
by the Legislature that n suitable market house
should be provided in Honolulu for the sale of
vegetables and fruit, rs we'll as for fish, for which
last there is now ample provision. The Act of
1850, respecting markets, has the following sec
ton
IL. Every person who shall violate any Of the
rules and regulations prescribed for the government
Of any public market or markets, or who shall stand
or occupy for the sale or vending OF any poi, fish,
crawfsh, oysters or shell fsh, or any kind Of fruit
or vegetables, IN any street in the city Of Honolulu,
shall be fined one dollar for such Offense, and ii shall
be the duty Of the clerk Of the market 10 prosecute
all such offenders Provided, however, that the
fines mentioned in this section shall not be imposed
until such time as suitable markets and conveniences
are set apart for the public use by the Minister Of
the Interior.
By this 1t will be apparent that, there being
at present no . . suitable markets and convenience
set apart for the public use by the Minister Of
the Interior there could be no fine imposed on
the hucksters for . standing OF occupying for the
sale or vending Of fruit or vegetables, in any
street in the city Of Honolulu"
But, the technicalities of the law aside, Il mar
ket place is absolutely required by the growing
necessities of the public. And it should be
located in some more central position than the
espIanade. or on the corner OF Fort and Queen
streets. 1t is rather too much to compel families
to send n mile for their vegetables.
The coral stone building on Queen street now
occupied by C. Brewer & Co. was erected by the
Government in 1851, for n market house. In
the Legislature OF the same year an elaborate
market law was enacted, providing for n " clerk
OF the market" &C., the principal portion of
which enactment is incorporated in Chapter 6j
Of the Revised Penal Code. When the building
was first completed, the stalls were sold at AUG
ton, and brought good prices, the vegetable and
fruit dealers all conferred there, and were not to
be found on the streets. This continued for one
or two years, until through the influence of some
one in authority, in order to attract the vegetable
trade to the locality Of certain butcher shops, the