The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-27
NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS.

rs every reason 10 unlnR unat tney VIII
continue so. Times have changed and
both the population here and its ways
of life are very different from what
they were twenty-five years ago. Then
Honolulu was a sleepy town with
hardly brick edifce in It, the Gov
eminent business was transacted in
what is now a carriage factory oppo-
site No. 9 engine house. Hilo was a
little village and the rest of the group
was dead asleep. One steamer month
used to slowly and leisurely make it's
way from San Francisco in eleven or
twelve days, and occasionally a sailing
packet dropped in with mail. To
meet changed times we need advance
ment in certain special lines.
In the matter of roads, much has
been done, much remains to be done.
But the change in this direction has
been on the whole satisfactory. The
inter island communication has i'm
proved, but will bear further improve
tnent, which will come in time, but
l-ere are certain lines on which i'm
provement should be started at once.
These are increased harbor facilities,
cable communication with the Coast,
more satisfactory quarantine regula-
tions and up-to-date hotel accommodate
ton. There are many other things
that we need, but it would be well
to get these arranged for first, and
there seems every prospect of the Gov
eminent devoting its energies to push
ing forward these projects.
During the year 1896 the regular
ocean steamers calling at the port OF
Honolulu, averaged nine a month. and
during this year they will average ten
sideration tramp steamers, of which a
considerable number come during the
year. The total number of vessels enC.
ering Honolulu harbol for the same
period was 31s, or 26.5 per month, one
for every working day in the year
This, of course, does not include the
coasters, many of which make week
ly trips between the is ands and some
even bi-weekly trips during the sugar
season. The accommodation we have
in the harbor is not adequate fol
handling so much shipping, and the
consequence is that some of the sail.
ing vessels are delayed in getting in
their freight. The volume of shipping
is not likely to decrease, it will in.
Pacific continue to increase. With this
prospect before us it is imperative
that the increased harbor facilities
should be taken in hand and pushed
forward as rapidly as possible.
Closely allied with the shipping in
terest is the cable. The mere fact OF
there being cable to the islands
would largely increase the number OF
vessels calling at our ports, and with
the laying of the ocean cable, the con
nectiOn of the islands by an inter
island cable would become necessity
With a cable we would lose our iso
lated character, and not only would
we profit by the increase of shipping
but by large addition to our tourist
travel. Men who need just such a eli
mate as can be offered here, dislike t,
come, or have their families come, be
cause they do not like to be cut of
from the rest of the world for a weel
or so at a time. There are counties
other advantages and the Government
is alive to them. A very strenuous ef
fort should be made to obtain the lay
ing of the cable as soon as possible
1t is a matter of Indifference, who lay
it, but the laying of it is what peopl
here are interested in.
The quarantine regulations shoul
be taken out of their somewhat chaoti
and anomalous condition. Take, 70
instance, the case of the Doric. TIL
first class passengers for this por
were allowed to land without goini
into quarantine, and the healt
authorities only asked them to sho'
themselves to doctor every day. TIL
through passengers were not Above
to land. This seems to the lay min
somewhat anomalous, if not absolute
ly ridiculous. The quarantine regula
tions should be very closely draw
up and published. If our regulation
are too vexatious the tide of passen
gers setting through from the Easter
shores of Asia and it's adjacent island
will very soon become diverted into
different direction, and their none
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