The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-12-12

Reply to the Honorable Waipuilani.
Mr.. EDITOR: In the ADVERTISER of the
5th inst. is an article from Waipuilani
"a representative from Kona) about the
'Kau Volcano Road" which calls for
some corrections and comments. The
honorable member from Kona writes:
''The l L. S. N Co. paid $4400 to Peter
Lee" Anybody would from this state
ment suppose that Mr.. Lee was
paid the above amount by said
Company as compensation for build
ing the road. But the fact is that Mr..
Lee borrowed money, and paid it back,
and was charged 20 per cent. interest
for the use of same. This is quite diff
ferent thing altogether, and it is very
strange that Waipuilani should make
such a mistake, especially after 81 and
other honorable members of the House"
had inspected the agreement between
Peter Lee and the /. l. S. N. Co. The
honorable member further writes:
Peter Lee has received some money
the |. l. S. n Co." Yes, of course he
has, but what of that? 1t is his business
to convey people over that road to the
Volcano, and he is not likely to do that
for nothing. And that he profits by the
road, does that make it any less desir-
able for the Government, any more than
Waipuilani's valuable services in the
Legislature are made less because he
derives some profit from them.
Another objection to the road was that
it is not in the same condition now as
when it was built. This is freely admit
ted it is not in the same condition, but
! in far better one, because it is hardened
| and packed down considerably by wear,
and besides it has been thoroughly re-
| paired in places where the unusually
| heavy floods did damage last fall.
All Waipuilani's objections to the
road, when looked at in the light of
truth and not obscured by his inspection
and consultation with responsible gentle
men from Kau and further assistance in
| Honolulu, are only recon- mendations to
the road. 1t just depends on getting the
right focus.
Now let us take a look at what the
| honorable member Indignantly calls the
greedy and fabulous price of 100000"
| The Government is now completing a
road from Hilo to the Volcano which
before it is done probably will cost the
nice little sum of 100000, or God
knows how much more. Put the $40 900
alongside, and it does not show up so
fabulous, does it? considering the length
| OF both roads to be about the same, and
the same kind of country to 60 through
| The Kau road is certainly not quite so
| kn hut 70, tlx,
safe and comfortable to travel over
which the honorable member can find
out by taking an ''inspection-trip' Pr with
! his responsible gentlemen from kau.
Waipuilani would not misappropriate
public funds to buy a good and highly
needed road, although he says that he
" strongly supports the spending of pub
lie moneys for roads," because he thinks
that good roads are a sure sign of an
enlightened and progressive govern
ment." This must then be sure sign
that Waipuilani is not enlightened.
Peter Lees road is closed to public
traffic, and the travelling people will now
have to 90 back TO the old trail, de-
lightful and romantic trail, winding it.
self in multitudes Of curves between
huge rocks of barren lava, and for a
change through long stretches of deserts
of kneedeep sand, which very often by
the strong wind has covered the trail en-
tirely. 1t has happened, not once but
many times, that people starting out for
the Volcano have lost their way, and
after long wearisome travel and risk OF
life have found themselves way over in
Puma in place of the Volcano.
All the honor however must not be
given to Waipuilani; he shares it with
the Representative, ex-Policeman, etc
from Kau, the Honorable Apiki. He in
troduced to the House petition from
his district to buy Lees road, and after
wards did his level best to defeat his
own bill.
This gentleman was not in the habit OF
speaking in the House, he used Waipui-
lani as a mouthpiece, because his own
intellectual capacities were not quite up
to the mark. In the House he always
wore kind of puzzled look, as if he was
wondering how in the Dickens he ever
got there. lie filled his chair first-rate-
that is in q bodily sense but he did not
like to get out of it till the House adj
journed. | have seen him sometimes
making Show OF getting up and say
Il