The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-06-22
ROADS ON HAWAII.

Mr.. EDITOR Since the organization
of the present Road Board system, L
have had occasion to travel more or less
over the roads of windward Hawaii and
TO notice with comfortable satisfaction
the great improvement being made in
them. A definite radical policy has been
adopted in place of the old temporizing
and makeshift one which governed road
for so many years in times
gone by, and the matter of road building
has been taken up thoroughly, honestly,
and courageously. Locations that were
unsound in principle, and places that
were so essentially bad that they could
never be made good were speedily and
bravely abandoned in favor of better,
even though great deal of money had
been spent there. The Boards generally
recognized the fact that because a great
deal of money had been thrown away,
that was no reason more should follow 1t.
OF greater significance perhaps, than
what the Boards have done is the man
ner in which they have done it. The
manly, energetic thorough way in which
they have gone about it impressing the
meant business, that they really meant
to have good roads, something that the
public had long given up hoping for I'M
der the dilletante dabbling regime Of
former Road Supervisors. 1t soon be-
came evident that the roads were likely
to receive the attention they deserved
for reasons of duty, self interest, public
spirit and personal pride of the best men
in the district, of men who wanted good
roads, and not the chance of handling
the money that should build them.
And yet l would not minimize what
they have done, for really believe they
have done more in the short period of
their existence than has been done in
any single decade before them. In the
district OF Hamakua, more visible i'm
pr0vement has been made than in any
other, partly because of the excellence
and experience of the Board for that dis
trict, partly because the conditions of
road building are less difficult than in
some places, and partly because so little
work of practical value had been
done before them. They have gone to
work With singular good judgment,
amounting almost to engineering
skill, to change the grades, al
ter locations, fill up hollows, do
anything in reason to secure a
really serviceable road; and the result
speaks to their praise in the recognition
of every passer-by, especially if he re-
members the roads of two years ago. In
this district, more really valuable work
has been done in the short space of a
year and half than in the twenty years
preceding, and all done, the chairman
assures me, with only the ordinary Road
Tax fund, and without expanding a
single dollar of the special appropriation.
One cannot help wondering where this
same money has gone to in former years.
1t certainly left little impression on the
roads.
In Hilo the conditions of road build
ing are more difficult and the require
ments of good road more severe, owing
to the clayey nature of the soil and the
heavy rainfall; besides which the de-
mands for bridges form very expensive
item. But even in Hilo, that most hope
less of all districts, where people had
given up all expectation of good roads
and had resigned themselves in patience
to the inevitable mud until the coming
of the millennium; even here the cloud
is lifting and already there are miles Of
good macadamized carriage road; mar
row in stone, to be sure, but solid of bot
tom, where the old roads were spacious
and unfathOmable in mud. And it is now
coming to be felt that carriages may be
useful even in Hilo. OF course every
thing cannot be accomplished in day,
and the Road Board has no power OF
performing miracles, as it would need to
have to suit all, but for an ordinary
human Road Board it is doing good work
and gives hopeful prospects of final good
roads as well as something more tangible
for the present.
The same may be said of North Hilo,
where the conditions are at their very
worst, and where the least has been
done in bye-gOne years. Many very wise
changes have been made, and others still
more radical and worthy are in prospect.
But all districts are probably not fav-
Ored with such good boards as these,
with men who make it their interest and
business to attend to bodybuilding, or
men who have had the experience or can
afford to give the time which thorough
measures require. For the benefit of
districts not thus favored, it would be
a fortunate thing if an engineer
possessed of good common sense
and sound judgment, could be en-
ployed to make the circuit of the
islands from time to time and advise
with the boards as to changes of grade
and location, examine into the condi-
tons, make estimates of cost, and if need
be lay out on the ground the changes to
be made. This would probably save a
good many mistakes and the unwise ex-
penditure of good deal of money. 1t is
a pity to see money spent year after
year trying to fill up hollow, or nibble
at grade which must ultimately be
abandoned beyond all doubt, and with
it all the makeshift expenditure of years
thrown away, which might have been
saved had the change been made at the
start. And yet that is just what can be
seen daily in some districts.
eNever, | suppose, in this country has
a task of road making been undertaken
of such magnitude as that now in pro-
cess of construction from Hilo to the
Volcano. What it will be and what it
will do for the country it is perhaps pre-
mature as yet to say. But if continued
and finished on the lines on which it has
been begun, and with such experienced
and energetic supervision as that of the
present builder, it will be comfortable,
beautiful and creditable road such as
can hardly fail to attract travel. But it
is great work, ana necessarily slow of
achievement. There are difficulties to
be met that will lead only to hard labor,
and plenty of it; and no one should be
disappointed because it is not finish I'd in
a few months or with the DreSant aDOro-