The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-01-17

-. 1890 .asr
practice Of gambling-for 1t is nothing else,
smooth II over as you will.
Recently we have had some very pretty boat
races, between a crew from an American man
oEwar and one from among our townsfolk.! These
exhibitions Of the qualities of different modelled
! boats and the skill and wind Of the oarsmen are
interesting and exciting at all times; but in the
two races to which we refer there was an undue
amount Of excitement on the part of many of the
spectators, owing to the fact that there were con-
siderable sums pending on the result in the shape
Of bets. Without stating the particular amounts
mentioned. it il safe TO say that several thousand
dollars changed hands on the first race, and sew
eral hundreds on the second. The losers OF
course felt sore and cursed their luck, and the
elated winners feel so much the richer by the
possession Of coin that they have not really earned,
and which therefore is not likely to do them any
ultimate good. Universal experience has proved
this rule.
But the whole business of betting on either
horse OF boat races is demoralizing, coming as 1t
does within the scope Of gaming. And II the
laws Of the country cannot be enforced IN regard
to gaming practices of all kinds-including, be-
sides those we have enumerated, lotteries, rallies,
and all games of chance-what is the good OF re-
tanning such laws on the statute book to be con-
temptuOusly winked at. Is there not a public
sentiment in the community on our side of this
question, sufficiently strong to be effectively exer-
ted for the enforcement Of law ,-or are we on this,
as on some other important matters. simply apa-
thetic
ASIDE from the broad principle that the wealth
and intelligence of this, the capital city of the
Kingdom, should be properly represented in the
IeUi-Ia ture Assemblv there arc n pumbar Of con-
siderations of a particular nature and connected
with the special interests Of our citizens, which
ought certainly to arouse them from their apa-
thy in regard to the approaching election for
Representatives. The most prominent of these
considerations is in connection with the immedi-
ate government of this city, a subject to which
we have several times alluded of late. While
the taxes that are assessed and collected i'll Homo
lulu form no inconsiderable part Of the revenue
OF the country, a comparatively small amount of
that revenue is expended here. If, for instance,
the road tax collected here was laid out on the
streets and the roads leading into town they would
be kept in better condition generally than they
are now. The taxes on real estate and personal
property collected in this city amount to q large
sum, and the income from water rates figures up
very handsomely every year. And shall those
who directly contribute to this large aggregate of
public revenue allow themselves, by their own
default, to be practically excluded from having
anything TO say as to how 1t shall be expended ?
Such delegations as have been sent to the Legisla-
ture from this city of late years, neither compre-
hended nor cared to look after the wants of their
constituency, and the present outlook promises
nothing better for the future-unless indeed as we
have rapaafadIy nr0ad tho fora;0n horn
shall agree to combine their influence on some
suitable ticket.
Among the wants Of this city which it should
be the aim of its Representatives to secure, is a d.
rect appropriation for thoroughly and systematic
cally lighting the streets. Crime and vice shrink
from the light; and a plentiful supply of lamps
ON our streets will prove a better safeguard for
the peace and morality of the community than
the enrolment of an extra number of policemen.
If, as is reported, the inventor Edison has at
length realized his aspiration to produce a bril-
liant electric light, cheap enough and convenient
enough to compete with gas, then the world is on
the eve of a revolution in the lighting of build
ings and streets, and even Honolulu may be
Lighted by electricity before the year is out.
Besides the keeping of our streets and roads in
good repair and properly lighting the city, there
is another sort of public improvement which will
soon imperatively demand attention. We refer
to the straitening and widening of some of the
public thOroughfares. AS the city grows in pop
uIation and extent, the necessity for this work
becomes more apparent, and the longer the delay
the greater. will be the expense. Honolulu, as a
large contributor to the public revenue, is en-
titled to demand an appropriation for this pur-
pose.
There is one point in regard to candidature at
the coming election upon which it will be well to
be explicit just here. However crude and imprac-
tieal may be the ideas of the mass of the native vo-
tiers, and however liable to be duped by demaga-
CUES of their own race, they are quite clear on
the Chinese question. No candidate need expect
to get the native vote who is In favor of unrestrict-
ed Chinese immigration. And in this particular
it is scarcely necessary to say that they have tue
sympathy and hearty support Of the ADVERTISER.
And in this connection we may mention anoth-
or question which will come up for discussion
and decision at the approaching session-that of
subsidies to foreign ocean steamships. We are
confident we express the sentiment of the great
majority of the foreign community when we say,
most emphatically, that the further payment of
such subsidy will be unnecessary, and a wanton
waste of the public money. For the t~hirty-six
thousand dollars paid Cor to be paid) out of the
HAWAIIAN treasury curing the past TWO years, we
have by no means received a commensurate re-
turn by the visits of the boats of the Pacific Mail
Company. while our freight and passenger bust
ness has in no small degree contributed to the
revenues of that corporation. The amount of sub
sidy that we have paid may appear small in some
countries, and really cannot, for its value, consti-
tute an inducement for the steamers to call here,
while the sum thus thrown away would 90 far
with us in the matter Of much needed internal
improvements.
These are a few out of the many considera-
tions which may be urged and which suggest
themselves in connection with the coming cleo
ton, and the duty which deVolves upon every
good citizen to give his vote and his influence for
the return Of the right sort of men to represent
this city.