The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-09-22
The Government Not Respon-
sbIe for Backwardness.
GRADING OF THE STREETS.
Rolling Stones Gather no Moss but Hiloites
do-Duty Of the Road Board-ApprOpra
tions for improvements Money Now Avail
able-Delay in Grading Front Street.

Hiloites labor under the impression
| that the one thing needful to their
earthly happiness is municipal govern
ment, whereby they might have a
mayor, town council and such other
officers as might appropriate sufficient
money to give them new public build
ing, harbor and good roads.
One day spent in Hilo will impress
the visitor with the idea that the place
has been neglected by the Government,
and another day will set them to won
dering what the people have done for
the town. In a conversation with a
high official of the Government yester-
day on the subject of Hilo improve
ments which should be made, a new
light was shed.
THE people do not or will not un-
derstand," said he, that the Govern
ment has nothing to do with street
grades and sidewalks. Repairs or I'M
provements to old roads or streets are
in the hands of the local road hoard,
and if the streets of Hilo are not graded
the fault is with them. Here III Homo
lulu, and it is the same in HilG, appro-
priations are made from current re-
ceipts for improvements to old streets
or roads. Surveys are made and the
Supervisor sets the pace
THE appropriation from current re-
ceipts for Hilo is $4,000, and OF this
;e
streets may be graded or widened as di-
rected. The appropriation from the
loan bill cannot be used on any old
roads or streets, but must be used in
Hawaii for new DIS, wharf and break
water. l can sea no reason, under the
why Front street should
not have had complete and good grade
and a sidewalk on at least one side of
the street years ago.
I'm Honoiula orders dre issued tnat !
certain streets shall be curhe1 and side
walks be kept free. from wce.ls. The !
law which OF aims here is the same in |
Hilo, and If the same conditions do !
not exist It is the fault of ha people,
he Government
1T has been difficult in the asst to
secure the services of really good men
IN the board in Hilo; men who were
willing to act looked after the streets
n the vicinity of their own, holdings,
md let the other sections go ] under
stand that competent surveyor will
De sent to Hilo, within few weeks
or the purpose of fixing the grades
If the streets. When that is done, the
work of grading should be pushed
wherever possible. believe the grade
If Front street and the mauka street
inc is fixed at the Spreckels building
1t the corner of Waenuinui.
But the. grade ends just there and l
loubt if anything can be done toward
extending it for the present. The makai
side of the street for a considerable
distance is claimed by Spreckels, and in
of the Government allow
ng them to extend their corner block
several feet over the old line, the
Spreckels' agreed to pay 81 900 cash
md give the Government the same
lumber of feet on the other side. The
money was paid promptly, but there
vas a dispute about the land and the
,ase was taken into court while Judge
Cooper was on the bench. Before he
'ould render a decision he was trans