The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-10-16


To he Eiiior q ne PacIe .Comureigl Advertiser:
sm-The arrogant inb<iHiy OF CD p~atrsrSh
" Malihini - Is really too amusing for serious con-
temptation, asdI EogL not again have noticed him
bat that he has assumed 10 misunderstood a state
meni q mine with regard 70 other governments
constructing and running public works. 10 wit.
steamers, railroads. etc. l have (Malihini says)
talked a good deal about New Zealand and other
countries " Who have run steamers. railways. &C."
and he would "inform me that al governments
assist such enterprises fcr the good o. che people. not
in the way Of running thS business on their own
account. bat in The shape Of subsidies, grants q
land. &e.'t
Now AIaIibinI" need not have informed me Of
this; in face Il Is ne infbrmssiOn 10 me that all gov
ernments do this. What | have 10 deal with and
what | am determined to try and make clear 60 the
obfuscAted intellect Of Malihini " Is that the coun-
ny ] srSke % has Tor years and is Al the present day
building aad running railroads aud other public
enterprises as a business aud on fAsir olra accoHaI.
l merely mentioned New Zealand as being, l cOnsii-
cred. snffcient evidence; but viii now supplement
il by stating that most Of the Australian colonies and
Tasmania are doing the same, particularly Victoria
and New South Wales. Why. in the former wealthy
colony, Of the many hundred miles now Ia existence,
not one is owned. run. or controlled by private
enterprise. They are absolutely the property Of the
government. The very first line-thai Of the Mel
bourne, Geeong and DAllarat railway, loo miles in
length, one OF the fnest works OF engineering Ia any
country, was constructed by the government at a
cost, | believe Of some el0,000 per mile. and now
stands as . perpetual token of their conimerclal and
political sagacity. 30 with their water works, and in
early days their steamers, and other magnificent
public works. The provincial governments Of South
land and Canterbury were the first 10 follow. in New
Zealand, aud since then the general government Of
the colony commenced simultaneously Of various
points n grand trunk system, which will when COM
plete connect the Northern and Middle Island by
over 1000 miles Of road. All that remains to make
the CONNECTION complete from North 90 South will be
to bridge Cooks Straits, which will be done by
steamers run and controlled by government-if pri-
vate enterprise does not step ia and provide for that
portion of the route. | hope | have made myself
clear this time to Alalihini," and shown him proofs
which | now challenge him TO ~disproye.
The building Of the steamer being an urgent nec-
essity and popular with the public is no reason why
they should take stockin it, But one reason why
they should not. is that a good many, like myself,
(and perhaps :" Maiihini') have no money 10 invest
in such an undertaking. and do not desire TO inter
fere with the legitimate work Of the government.
The Legislature did appropriate $4,000 towards
q new siearner, and me need not be alarmed because
the money Is not in the Treasury; itcan be obtained,
and If more than this is required 1 am open 20 q
small bet with "Malihini " that the next Legislature
will to a man vote the necessary SUN for the building
7 do not think the a schooner ring could more
efectually drive a nail in their own collins than by
having such an advocate as " Malihini.'' whose mo-
tises are so transparent, and who seeks 10 strange
any enterprise and to retaFd the progress Of the
country by any means, providing he can only get
two sehooners under weigh again. His pathogo-
nomic s~cribbling or twaddle will remain
-aa asHIy, solid monuments Of mental pain, Hr |
The petrifAciions of a plodding brain ?" 2
His painful and ludicrous labors will all be thrown
away; his letters to the Gassiie. indicative Of q
most selfish and peurile kind, will rise up and con-
front him when he has attained 20 years Of discre-
ton; (i.ee his centenial) and in again taking my
leave of him I cannot but think that he is left much
in the same position Of vanity and assumption as
The fly in Ksop's fable, which, sitting on the pole Of
the fast speeding chariot exclaimed, : What a dust
do / raise ~ Yours, &c., COMMON SENSE.