The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-04-28
Mr.. Homer Thinks They VIII
Suit the Case.
WAGON ROADS COST TOO MUCH.
And VIII Not Give as Large Percent
age OF Returns-Paek AniTals s ~!
Used - Rapid Transit TO Mark
ct is What f. Needed.


get them is a serious question. An
other question, if we can't get all we
want what can we get? To fill every
demand would involve the expenditure
of large sums of money which the gov
eminent has not got, neither can get
only by borrowing. So a wise dis
elimination should be made as TO what
and how they should be built.
Some demand first wagon road be
constructed all around all the islands.
We ask, would this be wise if applied
to Hawaii where there are miles and
miles of desert, unforbiddlng, barren
stretches, where no one lives and no
one would care to live? Neither does
any one care to cross these forbidden
spaces for business or pleasure if it can
be avoided. To me it would seem
wisest considering the financial condi-
ton of the government to make roads
first where people do live.
Next make roads into districts where
people could live. Wagon roads over
the above deserts could neither be
used for business or pleasure.
1t is suggested for Hawaii that
road be commenced at Hilo and worked
out towards Hamakua and when a trail
is encountered leading up to home
steads the homestead road must be first
constructed before the main road be
further extended; this course to be pur-
sued as homestead trails were encoun-
tered until this whole island was en-
circled by good wagon road and a like
good road made to every homestead
settlement.
This in imagination is convenient
road, very pretty picture, but the
practical application of the theory is
unreliable and too costly to be practi-
cable as whole; some sections would
be all right. The propriety of gov
eminent borrowing money for con-
structing wagon roads up to and
through homesteads under the circum-
stances may well be questioned, as the
common homesteader native and Por-
tuguese) will have but little to take out
or bring in for years to come. A trail
would amply accommodate all their
traffic, perhaps two or three saddle or
pack animals would be all they would
use even if a good wagon road passed
their doors. We are cognlzant OF
homesteaders living near good wagon
road for several years who use only
animals and those are used more to
carry their owners around the country
than to carry products and supplies
Another part of our road question
is as to the kind of road suitable and
economical for a certain locality.
1t is evident trail will do well in
some places, in others narrow grade
will answer, while clearing off trees
and underbrush, smoothing etc., Will
for a time be sufficient for passable
country road in places, others may re-
quire clearing. in places, grading and
bridging and macadamiZing in places
TO make a passable thorOughfare.
Others may require paving or macad-
amizing from end to end, while other
localities decidedly require railroad
of light or heavy construction, accord
ing to the contemplated traffic.
Districts requiring railroad on this
island cannot be fully served with a
common road. Hamakua, Hilo and
Olaa are districts requiring railroads
on this island-there may be others
railroads are type of higher civili- |
cation, for the reason railroads are So ]
bling productions to reach distant mar
kets and distant communities to fire.
quently mingle for business or pleasure |
which cannot be done on a common /
road.
Where distance and heavy business
are factors to be considered in devel-
o2ing a fruitful district, steam and |
electricity should be used for transport
tation purposes if possible, instead of
bone and muscle; and as we are told by |
competent engineers that "a railroad |
can be built as cheaply as a good paved |
wagon road" and "a ton of freight |
can be transported $50 miles on a rail-
road, at the same cost of transporting
one ton five miles on a common road"
The above being true. it becomes a
SeSnouS question when contemplating
building road, as to whether the dis
trict to be blessed with road be large
and important enough to require and
sustain railroad, if it is. and only one
road could be built, that surely should
be railroad, as aside from its equip
ments it could be as cheaply and more
eXpeditiously built than a common road.
When l say more expeditiously built y
[ speak advisedly, as thus it stands.
Admitting for arguments sake. the
grading of a road bed twelve feet wide.
for a railroad, will cost as much time
and labor as the grading of road bed
twenty-four feet wide for wagons. it
must readily be seen the matchmaking
of the wagon road would require much L
more time than putting down the ties
and rails on the railroad bed.
The force that could put down in one
day mile of ties and rails could not
pave or macadamize one mile of the
common road in less than ten days
The sixty miles of road from Hilo to