Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-01-06
Kohala, December ~, 1882.
THE GOVERNMENT IND THE
ROADS,

EDITOR Press. Should private enterprise
be made to bear the expense or half the ex.
pense of improving and keeping in repair such
public roads as may be specially used by itp
This has been the custom in some parts Of
| these Islands, and an instance of the kind has
been known, when such road, standing in
long need of repair for the public good had to
be made suitable for so small matter as about
two weeks hauling. The reason given for
| such course has been that the unusual wear
TO the road from steady hauling in such cases
should be repaired by the parties so using it.
Admitting for moment the right of the rea-
soning where unusual damage has resulted
from carting in wet weather, should il apply
| to any amount Of use of roads in their ordinary
state, or to roads that should be repaired in
any case, or require improving for the ordinary
necessities of such an enterprise1 Let us take
for example an express or business wagon
that runs regularly distance of four to ten
miles and back, the year through, and half a
dozen cane wagons that want to run steadily
over one-fourth to one mile of the road for two
weeks as aforesaid, or even two months, is it
just that the latter, any more than the former,
should be at the expense Of making the roads
passable and safe for themselves, or repairing
any ordinary wear incident to their use1
| Take another example A new plantation is
started, and mill built in locality accessible
to carts by roads that already exist, but whose
capacity for mile is neither sufficient nor safe
for the regular requirements Of a plantation;
should said enterprise be made to bear the ex-
pense of making this road trafficable1 The
road supervisor, standing as representative of a
poor, impoverished government that can afford
tens of thousands of dollars for coronations
only, and such monkeying, will say, "Ol
course it should; this great expense is not nee.
essary for the public; that bridge will las,
another year il men go with care and don't pu,
their foot through the hole; and Mr.. Jack.
anapes has always got by that narrow place
safely by keeping the brakes on and going
slow, and the jolt over that rock won't huri
the wagon if it is good and strong; it is the
mill that wants all this expense; it will cos
$4,000, and the government says the mil
must pay for half Of it anyhow" And for tn,
moment we are staggered 900, and onl,
because the mill wants it |" Oh, yes that's so
the mill will have to pay for it; there's no coro
nation or foreign tours for the mill. But hold
this mill has a capacity Of 1900 tons Of suga
la year. 1t is assessed for not less than $Ioo,
600. 1t makes stock, laborers, stores, schoon
ers and perhaps railroads necessary, with al
} their many and intricate rami6cations, besid
encouraging smaller private ventures, all O
which would otherwise never have existed, an,
in turn all pay their tax, SO that the expens
Of putting that road in good condition is prob
ably recovered to the government the frs
year; and this plantation is to continue 70
many years, with ever increasing results in tn
way Of producing taxes, like the circling rip
Piles ON the water caused by the falling into
of stone. Say again, is it right that pr
vate enterprise should bear the expense Of i'm
proving and repairing public roads, woule
il not rather be wise business policy on tn
part Of the government TO open new road
where they are wantedi GoLfIERI.
Hawaii, December ~, 1882.