The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-04-21

other expenditures, it would be mall
versation and the ministers would be
liable TO impeachment for it. then
say that the Government have had
in hand money enough for keeping
everywhere the roads in that "good
order and condition you speak Of,
and yet, even in the metropolis, out
side of some few streets lately ex-
tensively repaired-on that old ex-
pensive principle precisely want to
avoid-how are the roads generally? |
To show how they are allowed to
decay, need only mention one,
Beretania Street, from Fort to Puma
hou Streets, which had very ex-
pensive refitting only very few
years ago, and which already needs
as much again, because the "mend-
ing stitches" have not been made in
time, as they would have been by
my cantonnier" system.
This brings me to say that this
system, which l proposed lately in
the Press, but which l had already
submitted to the Governments several
years ago-this system, / say, is
very far from being, as you term it,
"akin" to the last Legislature Road
Act. Just as well say that the old
Jus Rom0'aune is "akin" to our
present Civil Code, or that sailing
schooner is somewhat akin" to the
princely Alameda.
The cantonnicr" system is one
of permanent, systematic attendance
and of constant labor (even when
the roads do not need it! y, embrac-
ing all the roads, and not spasmodic
effort, OH some particular spot, at
the caprice of some accidental De-
putty Road Supervisor, "under in
structions of the M. of l." And,
as the expense is regular, constant
one, which here would probably be
covered by the only road fund now
provided from the yearly taxes, the
principal feature of it is that there
could never be any "question of
sufficient" or insufficient funds.
On the contrary, maintain that it
would cost much less thar the present
system, and certainly, among other
things, it would render useless in
particular the complicated "fifth
wheel'' of Deputy Road Supervisors.
| What / advocate is regular, per-
manent organization of road-aoork-
ers, to do the work, and not Of
bosses, half bosses, quarter bosses,
to attend to supervising work which
is not done.
These road-workcrs on fixed sala.
ries would be divided, on their res
pective roads, into companies or
brigades, and one man in each-the
most able one, encouraged by the
prospect of possible promotion-to
act as chief of that section of road,
under the active control of the
unique Island Road Supervisor; and
whilst bossing the other workmen,
this headman would himself take
hold of spade and shovel and do
some profitable work for his salary.
This is the distinctive feature of the
French "cantonnier" system, no
loafers, no useless supervisors. To
further illustrate the idea, suppose
the system in working order, and
say Beretania street needing three
or four regular permanent workmen,
one of which would superintend the
others and be responsible for the
whole road. Here the salaries of
every one of these men would re-
present work done as we'll as work
superintended. Consequently the
same salaries now spent on district
road supervisors, whose occupations
are not constant, would pay for a
part of the work itself. In fact all
moneys spent in salaries would re-
present actual work, and if any ex-
traordinary causes necessitated help
outside of the ordinary gang OF
"cantonniers, the Chief Road Su-
pervisor would have to be notified
and probably to be present, so that
no expenditure would be at the dis
cretion of sub-agents.
On the contrary, now, the law
puts into the power Of the super
visors to fix the "reasonable CON-
pensation" of their Deputies for
work they have not seen, and in
reality these last are the men who
have "the disbursement of all road
taxes" and appropriations. This is
indeed dangerous gate opened tc
frauds, in the case of any unfaithful
sub-agents, and how many super.
fluous days of work may be charged
to the Government, with little chance
of detection, between the rare visits
of the Road Supervisor in Chief
who is only bound to "make at least
three times . year circuit Of hi'
respective jurisdiction"
This alone is ridiculously INSULT
cient and reveals what an ill-dis
} posed mind might take to be tht
true meaning of the 1884 Law.