The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-06-06
LAHAINA.

serious defect in our territorial
system of Government, a defect inner
tied from the monarchy and from the
Republic, is the absence Of local rule.
And there is no better illustration of
this than the condition of the town
of Lahaina. 1t is in most attractive
location on the leeward side of the ISL
and, and extends for long distance
along the ocean beach. BY the side of
this beach runs a street for the dis
lance of fully half mile, and it is
protected in some places from the ac-
ton Of the surf by a parapet, or stone
wall. The appearance Of the town $
repulsive, because it is dirty and bad
ly groomed." The sidewalks are mar
row and unpaved. The Asiatics fill
the place and fix it's character. The
labor of the people who live in the
place and in the neighborhood pro-
duces vast amount of wealth, which
goes out untaxed for local government.
The same amount of earning, distrib-
uted in any town of the United States
among independent proprietors, would
create most attractive village. Con-
centrated industry makes the place a
dirty hole. The earnings of the plan
tation, distributed evenly among the
people would be expressed in efforts
to beautify the place. The population
numbers about $500, which is quite
large enough to claim tie rights of a
township, if the question of nationality
is avoided.
For these $500 people, more or less,
the water supply is utterly inadequate.
A small expenditure would supply it in
quantity The place does not appear
to have any friends in court. The In
terror Department does not seem to
care for it. The plantation is under
no legal obligation to provide for it.
The natives and Asiatics do not know
how to make themselves felt in the
Executive building. The cry for water
cross the channel to Honolulu. The
department provides, in way, for Ho-
nOlulu because the comfort of the
members of the Government is de-
pendent upon a good water supply,
and there is pressure from the people.
Iahaina is concealed, and when we
wish to show the glory of our civiliZa
tion we keep the tourist away from
that Japanese village.
There is no local officer who pleads
for conitorv improvements and takes
some pride in making the place at
tractive.
1t was said in the convention which
framed the Constitution Of Hawaii
that it was wiser to govern all the ISL
ands by a centralized authority in
Honolulu than it was to establish any
local self-gOvernment. So it was, If
the local self-government was elective.
But a Board of Supervisors selected in
each island by the Government, and
empowered to provide for local needs
would have been better than an In
terror Department that cannot enter
into the details of the needs of the
different places. The difficulties which
races are no doubt serious, but it il
not necessary that they should. at
present, determine who the local Off
Gals should be.
The regulation of the local affairs
of the large Island of Hawaii by the
Department OF the Interior cannot
contiue for any long period if the peo-
pie increase in numbers, because al
ADMINISTRATION carried on by officers re-
siding at a distance is most unsatis
factory in strictly local affairs.
If strictly local self-government i:
not practicable, the less we talk abou
American civilization, the less incon
sistent we shall be.