The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-08-15
WANT AND WASTE OF wATrR

Within the past few days several
strong complaints about the want
VI water in certain parts OF the city
have been published. Its no wonder
the people are angry. The wonder
Il that the people quietly submit to
the continued violation OF pledges,
such a. we're made to those who
bought Government lots, and to the
dishonest collection Of water rates
without value returned half the
year. This much Wanted admins
trstion the country has been under
without its consent for nineteen
months has proved its failure to
make any improvement over any
previous administration in nothing
more than its dealing with the water
question. Its course 10 this respect
has been su alienation Of lcade"
inertia aud . bungling show OF acti-
witty. There was ample warning OF
water famine in the scarcity Of diff
ferent years close TO that in which
this Government began TO rule.
Yet no attempt to do anything was
made until the consumers began to
cry out about . slackened supply.
Then . lot OF money was spent on a
poor auxiliary pumping plant before
1t could be got to work. II has long
been evident that Nuusnu valley
cannot supply the city with water,
unless the mountain stresmlcts are
conducted into large reservoirs, yet
70 be built, which would hold the
abundance Of rainy seasons for dry
times. Nature seems to have mad.
reservoirs, however, under our feet,
where the water is kept cool aud
crystal until il Is tapped for use,
While one Government after an,
other has been making mud tanks
up the valley and scratching weed.
aud dscsyed forest refuse out Of the
streamlets led into them, private
enterprise has been making water
gush out Of the ground at both ends
sud in the middle Of the town
Why tho Government has not also
sunk artesian wells as q preventiv,
OF drought, aud means Of getting
purer water than eau be got other
wise, 10 . matter Of surprise. 1t II
said that the pipes in some OF the
principal lines are not capable o
carrying more water than they d.
when the pressure il at its height
Well, why have not pipes been pro
cured long sgo' Aud why not sinl
the wells anyway They would b'
available for carrying water from t.
the households Immediately sur
rounding them. II they proved T.
be flowing wells, they could b
capped and, at given times, thei
water conducted by simple mean
TO the premises Of people wanting !
for irrigation.
There is no justification for thi
Governments dereliction Of duty
with regard to this vitality import
ant matter, in the consideration
that previous Governments hav
bssn equally remiss or even moro sc
Mistakes and failures OF the pas
are - valuable, sometimes, as wis
doings and successes for guidsnc
in present action. This Govern
ment has been praised to the end
OF the earth as "the best the island
ever had" therefore a great des
more should have been expected G
it than OF any OF its predecessor,
1t has had other advantages in ha,
ing . perfectly free hand TO perforl
Whatever its wisdom dictated, an
in its maintenance OF continuou
legislative functions from its fir.
day until now. Taking the word {
its own friends, moreover, it ha
long ago amasssd q surplus in tn
treasury, aud from an early time j
its career always maintained til
balance on the right side OF tn
ledger. What excuse can possibl
bs pleaded, then, for its failure I
provide the capital city with III
most important public improvement
the inhabitants are 10 need of III
Government is censuTable, beside
for great slackness in conserving Ii
scsnt water supply that We hav
II issues regulations against vast
without enforcing them, Benefc
aries, friends and favorites Of Ii
Government are allowed to viola,
with impunity the order prescribin
the hours Of irrigation, Thus, viii
the people Of Palama were Il
Other day without drop Of wat'
70 drink, . high-salaried official Ii
ing on Judd street had his garde