Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-06-04

TIM activity of building enterprise in this
city at tho present time, coupled with tho
recollection Of the recent catastrophe ut ST.
Louis College, leads us to remark again on
the necessity for supervision not only Of pub
lie, but private, buildings not only in course
of construction, but of domolition At the
presont moment the old Knumaknpili Church
only shows the outline Of it's ground plan in
heaps of broken adobe the old theatre in
Hotel street ia being demolished Cliiford's
old store in Queen street, and the small build
ings opposite Nuuanu atrcet, are being reno
vatod both corners Of Fort and Queen streets
mauka side, are being cleared for rebuilding ;
Messrs T.. o. Hall & Son have just completed
an addition TO their store, proonging the
kng-strcet frontage; and Mr.. Campbcl's
new building IN Fort street is approaching
completion. Tho public are kccny Interested
in all these buildings, not only as to stability
Of fabric, but also ~ to the line of street
frontage. A correspondent of tho GazeHc
draws attention to the alleged fact that a
Chnamnn, when building n store, pushes its
foundation "quite up 10, aad n Ahie Jeyond tho
bounds of the sidewalk; he, ond this he
makes his upper story project quito over the
sidewalk.
A supervision of all these matters is urgent
ly needed, but rarely carried out Section
27O of the Civil Code provides that "When-
ever any member OF the Board of HEALTH or
it's agent, shall think it necessary for the
preservation of the lives or health of the in-
habtants to enter any land, building, or ves-
sci, etc, he shall be entitled to the protec-
tion aud nj Of the authorities in 80 doing;
but the whole drift of the law on this subject
points to preservation of health, rather than
prevention OF accident and it would be almost
stretch of authority for "any member of tnc
Board of Health" to forbid the erection of any
building on account Of defective design.
We have q Superintendent of Public
Works." but his sphere of usefulness seems to
be very restricted. Is the new palace pub
lie work Is the new theatre? Is the re-
modelling of the outline of Queen street where
intersected by Fort street in any sense a pub
lie work? Are the streets, roads, quarries,
steam roller and crusher in any way under the
control of the Superintendent? If not, why?
As to the palace, we believe that the plans had
to be considerably modified in the course of
erection in order to overcome, or at all events
reduce to minimum, the faults of the original
design. So also the roof of the new theatre
was constructed very considerably stronger
than was at first intended at the instance we
believe, of the then Minister of the Interior;
80 just recently the doors of the same building
were made to open outwards on the represen-
tation of the present Minister. We have seen
the building known as Buffum's Hall crowded,
when the means of exit were 80 deficient that
an accident must have been fatal to the vast
majority of the audience. Here are a few
instances where supervision was needed, but
not applied, or if applied, then almost by ac-
cident. The Fire Marshal, too, should be
invited to make representations, and prevent
the accumulation of shavings and other nfam-
mable matter from being lett to the chance of
starting a conaagration which might destroy
half the town.
The Minister of the Interior is charged in
Section l07 of the Civil Code with the super.
intendence and management of the internal
improvements Of the Kingdom; and he may,
with the approval of the King in Privy Coun-
Gil, appoint an officer, to be styled the Super
intendent of Public Works, to assist him in the
discharge of this branch of his duties"
1t seems to us thas this superintendent"
should be endowed with very extensive field
of superintendence, and the words "public
works, public buildings, internal improve
ments," should also be capable of wide
Interpretation. If private individual or a
joint stock company erect fabric intended to
be used as a school, church, chapel, lecture
room. theatre, ball room, or for any purpose
likely TO bring together large numbers of peo-
pie, that fabric should be "pdss4d" by written
report of the Superintendent before its use be
of license, the license should not issue with
ont his opinion heing first pronounced Plans
involving alteration of street fronts in the city
should be reported on by tho Superintendent
before the carrying out of such plans becomes
allowable. The streets are not wide enough |
for present traffic, and this is daily increas-
ing: therefore every opportunity should be
watched for and made available for the add- !
tional convenience of commerce A huge |
block of buildings in London was recently |
rebuilt in one of ills most crowded thorough |
fares, where land is worth $50 to 35 per square |
foot, but the frontage was set back from eight |
to ten feet for the benefit of the additional |
width given to street traffic.
M.