The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-09-15
The Hawaii Railway


ably apply to any productive pub
lie Improvement upon these ISL
ands, but it is intended to apply
particularly to that fruitful region
of the island of Hawaii whose
natural outlet to the worlds
market is Hilo Bay. The produc-
tive land of this district-Hama-
kua, Hilo and Puma. leaving out
mountains, gulches and unproduc-
tive lava hows-equals in extent
the islands of Oahu and Maui COM
bined, which renders this the most
important body of agricultural
land in the Kingdom yet to be de-
veloped. In advancing to the dis
cusslon of this question | must re-
mind my readers of few facts.
There has been sent to the Legis-
lature important petitions asking
them to favorably consider this i'm.
provement by granting it some
Government aid. Perhaps the num-
Der of the petitioners are not so
important as the quality.
Any one acquainted with the
petitioners must admit that many
of them rank among our most
worthy citizens. Their business
experience, ripe judgment and hon.
orable standing, would naturally
prevent them from signing a petit
ton to the honorable Legislature
asking for any unwise or impracti-
cable things.
Ancther fact; the two districts
asking for this road pays about
| one sixth of all the internal taxes
of the Kingdom and eight-tenths
of their fruitful area yet undevel-
oped.
Another fact; Hawaii produces
over one-half-70,000 tons-of all
the sugar produced in the King
dom, and contains twice the amount
of land of all the other islands com.
bined. These and other facts
would seem to justify the Govern
ment in granting an encourage.
ment to this road as an opening
wedge to developing this whole
fruitful region. That would be
public improvement. l see no way
of making our country noted IN
the world, or making it mere pro.
ductive than it now is, only by i'm
proving it, and l see no way tc
settle, cultivate and improve this
particular district only by rail
roads.
Railroads not only stimulate
business and increase values, but
they are an advance type of civil
ization; shall we not civilize I
The property values of the King.
dom have increased the past sixteen
years by Improvement and produc.
ton over 200 per cent. Shall we
not go ahead and increase the tax
able values still more, or shall we
now stop advancing? Do we be.
lieve that business can be kept
alive, and values created, without
the people and the Government ex.
erting themselves? This would be
a blessed country if it could, a verI-
table Garden of Eden.
But unfortunately, or fortunate
ly, such is not the case. We have
to "get our bread by the sweat Of
the brow" and wealth is only mul
tiplied by labor directed to i'm.
provement and production. The
assistance asked for this road, il
granted, would be an opening wedge
to the settlement of this. the largest
body of agricultural land existing
In this Kingdom. There are four
parties pecuniarily interested in
having this road built, and justice
would say. I" If possible all should
assist in it's building" but these
duties come slowly to mems minds
The first to stir the enterprise anc
show up it's advantages are the pro
iectors of the road, the leaders il
the enterprise, who propose to builc
and run the road if they can com
mand the means and get the proper
encouragement. Another interest
ed party are the owners of the lane
and other property that would b'
benefited by the road through thu
en- HANGED values of their properties
Another interested party are those
who get their business done more
expeditiously and at cheaper rate
than before the road is built. The
fourth party, and really the on
most interested of all, is the Gov
eminent. The Government, as wei
as others, are interested in quicl
work and cheap freights, and beins
the owner also of some of the prop
erty near the road, will be benefited
by it's enhanced value. Besides, i
is its duty to provide for its peopl
by opening the lands to settlement
The greatest advantage, however
must come to the Government
from the taxes collected yearl,
from the enhanced values of tn
property in the district after tn
road is built. HAWAII.
(To be Contlnued.)