The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-10-09
HoNoLrLu, October 9Th. 1873.

HoNOLULU, OCTOBER blh, 1870.
To the Editor of The Pacific Commercial Advertiser:
SRA man wise In his own conceit," and
doubtless very cunning in the art Of :" rhabdOnlan-
cy,' Is my friend Z" Malihini." / am disappointed
in his second attempt i expected better things OF
him. and was prepared for the enunciation OF more
stable arguments against the building Of the
steamer than had yet been advanced by the owner
or agent of the two unfortunate schooners " whose
occupations gone" But be evidently exhausted
himself in his first essay, his second being but tier
alton. Not one Of my arguments does he disproye;
not a single new idea does he present. He says"
and he asserts" with silly pomposity bis rusty
notions, and he exclaims Eyes" and no - TO his
own abnormal and selfpropounded questions with
the adroitness of a lovesick maiden. From crown
TO sole, / cannot in all conscience discover any
soundness in him. His writings show only that
they emanate from the brain Of an individual who
is ga child in intellect though a man in years"
He talks OF government interference, and appeals
despairingly to the four corners Of the heavens TO
bear him witness that no other government ever
built or run a steamer for the public veal, or ever
did anything that might be done by private enter
prise. Ergo, no government has constructed rail
roads where there were stage coaches, nor run wa
ter-works, or embarked in any other undertaking
which might be done by a combination Of citizens
or subjects.
Now l will tell him I have seen 10 various coun-
tries, English, Americans and Germans, clamorOus
for the Intervention Of government TO supply them
with public works that private enterprise failed TO
furnish and as far as Englisbmen are concerned,
in Crown colonies, where capital is scarce or
diverted into other more reproductive channels,--
almost their first cry is for government TO provide
them with steam by road and river. IL is the eli
max Of a~ssurdity to state that the building and
running Of a new steamer Is Interference with pri-
vate enterprise in this country, where its capital
has other more remunerative outlets-ior none
will contend that the steamer will be an immedi-
ately reproductive undertaking, although il IL an
immediate necessity. II Is only when government
seeks to establish a monopoly that it departs from
its legitimate functions and acts in opposition to
the welfare Of the state.
/ have as much confidence in The Government as
" Malihini - proposes to have. | think they are too
sound to keep on putting "new wine into old bot
tlesi'' and the taxpayer has had to foot the bills to a
considerable extent for the repairs TO the Rilauea
for some years past. and there is before them a con-
slant bill Of expense which will make before long n
big hole in the new steamer appropriation. And
then the question arises-Have we got a steamer or
q teapot
1t is a pity that in this age the car Of progress will
roll on, and "Malihini - and his ~confreres must
stand aside as other and better men have had to do
before them. If they persist in trying to impede its
course, they must and will be crushed beneath its
whess-ths welfare Of the many before that q Nc