The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-05-27

on the work, and that they are not
likely to do.
A carriage road Is much needed to
connect Kawaihae with Waiohinu,
but the probabilities are that this
Will stand among the indefinitely
postponed enterprises of this gener-
alton. The distance is somewhat
over one hundred miles, and the cost
Is estimated by residents of that
district at an average of from twenty
thousand to twenty-five thousand
dollars per mile, or a matter Of some
two and a quarter millions of dollars
in all What with pahoehoe, cinker,
forest, bog and swamp, rough,
rugged and high declivities all but
cleaning over" live volcano liable
at any moment to overwhelm, roads,
declivities, forests and all in an
avalanche of ruin; tremendous
gulches, which in rainy weather, are
very Niagaras of roaring, rushing,
resistless mountain tOrrents-is it
any wonder that our methods of
travelling are rather primitive and,
in many localities pretty certain to
remain for many years to come, IN
improved and unchanged in any
essential particular?
On the windward side Of Hawaii,
it is satisfactory to note that road
making has been at last inaugurated
as a bona tide branch of the public
service. 1t has passed from the
region of fiction into the realm of
fact. The work goes on directed by
men with heads, and who evidently
understand what is to be done and
how to do it. Instead of miserable,
joint-wrenching, precipitous trails
over the highest and most inacces-
sible points of mountain bluffs,
there are now to be found smooth
wide road beds of easy grade cut out
of the sides of the bluffs, and in
many instances, where bluffs could
not be got around they are cut
through Besides the road beds of
easy grade cut in the former head
long sleeps of gulches, wild noun
tain torrents are spanned with high
bridges.
SO far as these improvements have
progressed they are highly satisfac-
tory and creditable to all concerned.
There is no doubt that similarly well
directed enterprise continued for two
or three years longer will give to the
HiIo, Hamakua and k0hala districts
a first rate carriage road clear
through from Hilo to Kawaihae, g
distance of some sixty miles. At
present, there IS such a road from
Mr.. j. NJ. Horner's at Kukaiau to
Kukuihaele, and from Waimea vii
lage to Kawaihae. The greater part
of the road from Hilo to Kukaiau,
apart from the gulches, will need
little more than the ordinary road
revenues TO complete. The big
gulches will require special engin-
eering as we'll as special appropria-
tions. The most formidable of these
are at Hakalau, Maulua and the
Kaiwilahilahi mill
The style of roads and bridges to
be constructed at these places, as
we'll as at others whose names we
need not repeat, will, of course, de
pend upon the usual contingency in
such cases, namely, cash. Our Ha-
waii friends believe that it will be in
order for the next Legislature to APP
prbpriate some two hundred thous-
and dollars for the road and bridge
service on their island. At any rate.
that amount, OF even more. can be
used TO advantage during the next
biennial period 1t is no more than
justice TO Hawaii, the largest island
in the group, and containing nearly
half the number Of plantations and
sugar mills in the Kingdom, that her
roads and bridges, especially through
the great cane growing districts.
should lie at least equal TO any
others.
The appropriation bill of the last
session Of the Legislature shows
total Of sixty thousand five hundred
dollars for this purpose ON Hawaii,
apart from the road tax to be ex-
pended in the districts where col
lected Nearly half Of this sum.
however goes TO the Hilo and Vol
cano road, and that may have TO be
supplemented with an additional
item before the work Is completed.
The old Story.