The Hawaiian gazette., 1885-04-01

EDITOR GAZETTE i'm late issue, / noticed that
one of your correspondents had been very Justly
'grumblingh about the state of roads on these Is
lands, and that the GAZETTE in its usual fecitous
manner, had re-ecaOed and REINFORCED the COM
plant. Other papers have also given some atten-
ton to tue same subject, 50 that hope shall be
excused for submitting somewhat new ideas on the
yexed question.
Il cannot be denied that immense sums have
been, and are now being spent in Hawaii mel. for
road making or repairing and that nevertheless,
the state of our thorOughfares, rule, is vile.
But if the public right, and have every reason
TO complain, the Government are perhaps not so
much to blame as IL may seem, for / consider that
pecularily one special necessity of the country
appears TO have always been overlooked by our
administrators, and this is what wish to call the
attention OF the public to.
In a country like this, where the climatical
changes tell heavily on the roads and where the
materials for rOld-buildng are OF the poorest
quality, roads can be kept in good condition oHig
by eolistaHi and daily attention.
This Is precisely what has never been obtained
here. Oar road engineers seem TO make n point
Of waiting unti road or street j. we'll nigh i'm
pasSable then they 20 10 work and =peiid a large
amount Of money at once to repAir II, but after
that more attention Is paid TO the road until it
gets newly into such deteriorated state that other
huge repairs are again necessary Such system
might do very well IN countries where road super
visOrs get much percentage all road work, a.
1t is then Of their interest to make 1t heavy as
possible; but here where the roads are supposed 10
be Kept IN order Win moneys collected Tor the
purpose in each district and not to be spent ont
side, this system cannot fail to work to the gen
eral dissatisfaction.
What is then necessary here Is a regular aud sys-
feiHgfie organization OF road work more prop
erly of bookkeeping. We need a system tending
to maintain tue roads in Constant good order.
Roads in Europe are generally well kept every
where, ana the English th0roughfares are some
what noted. and justly for their condition, sup
pose partly on account OF the law which allows
anyone for a small cause to Indct' a whole road,
thus forcing the parish authorities TO extensive ~
pairs. But 1t is IN France where road keoping has
been brought TO its perfection, and where its work
incs arc most systematic In France the roads
are under the special control of the national corps
Of engineers, called "H0ats q ChnHssecs; but out
side Of this high direction and constant super.
vision by we'll trained, practically and scieu-
tifcany, the work itself Is done by petent. ex-
Perieneed workers for every mile leagsh OF road
the official appointment IS made OF special
worker or roaa-keepsr, named &C lntounier, 'regu.
larry salaried by government, and whose sole duty
all fAe gear fvuid Is 10 be working on that length
of road allotted TO him. whether It needs repair
eng or not The consequences of this Is that tie
smallest damage. OF wear aud tear, is imnediatcy
attended 10, before It has time 20 enlarge and II
any extraordinary injury Is Suddenly done 10 any
special point b. sa.er spolts, othet such causes
all the neighboring ciaionniers are summoned
out and collected together. aad th1s enabled,
without outside assistance Ia vefy bEIei time d
remedy any damage.
Further. these cantonnters ara considered as pnb-
lie servants, under oath. are :" enreglmented. 80
that they are able to p rform pa lie duties, a.
special rural policemen soiiic-s, as the cas-
mAy require. HoEeTer, even this systematic OF
| ganizatiol of ready wO-kmeu, Who spending
their lives IN the same occupation. very soon &C.
qrire valuable experience N 70 .d-SsepIns: would
be insufficient If they had nothing 70 Work WITH
consequently the system Is ably ca npieted by an
equally systematic distribution Of rHi-n1ateriAls
| caf-stone sand ETC. for mendng the roads, arr
always aad everywhere provided beforehand, ever
if not needed, and distributed in pies al reSu