The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-02-02
NEW CHINATOWN.


Preparatory discussion as to the lay
ing out of a new city in the burned dis
trict has commenced. The meeting of
yesterday came to no conclusion, and
indeed hasty conclusion should not
be arrived at. 1t is a matter which
should have the most careful consider
alton and study and no mere snap
judgment or application of fad should
be allowed.
We have, by an extraordinary COM
bination of circumstances, placed in
our hands an opportunity which we
certainly never could have hoped for.
The plain duty before us is to have
built up a section of the city which
shall be thoroughly sanitary, thorough
ly convenient and credit to the city
and it's people Honolulu has really
never tackled the city problem as yet.
The town has grown haphazard, as
towns have a way of doing. The result
has been narrow and in some cases
crooked streets. In this respect Homo
lulu is not so badly off as the old part
of Boston, or some parts of London, or
many of the old continental cities, but
it is quite bad enugh Towards Wal
kiki there has been a regular plan of
streets, but elsewhere the haphazard
system has prevailed. What could be
worse for a busy business thoroughrare
than Fort street.
The preliminary discussion has hing
ed on the question of alleyways There
are many advocates of the alleyway,
but not all are agreed as to the size
of the alleyway; it varies from twelve
to twenty feet. President Dole asks
for alleyways fifteen feet wide, and
wishes to prevent frontage upon the
alley. But it will be very difficult to
prevent doors from opening on the
alley, and once they are cut it is very
evident to what use the back premises
of the stores would be put to. A know
ledge of ''slums" in other places is
eminently useful in considering the
question.
Still it is urged with some show of
force, that many of the blocks are very
small, not more than 1856 feet through
and driving a street through a little
block like that would be carrying
things too far"
The opponents of the aleyway con-
slider it as possibly insanitary and pro-
badly immoral. An illustration of this
was instanced by A. V. Gear, quoting
the alleyway between Emma and Fort
streets. He is certainly correct when
no ig
But the alleyways of the new blocks
would not be cork-screw affairs such
as he quotes, they would be cut
straight through without curves.
If we are to have narrow alleyways
they would have to be properly lighted.
The dark alleyway is decidedly the
home of the criminal and the prostl-
tute. That is the story of every city
upon the face of the globe. There are
blind alleys in London which a police
man dare not enter alone. 1t was the
fact of having narrow passages, and
secret entrances that made old China
town the rabbit warrent it was, and
which attracted to it the class of peo-
pie that went there
However there is ample time for dis
cussion. President Wood has stated
that the Board intends to hold China
town down until it is reasonably GER
tain that the bacilli are all dead. The
best way to reach a solution as to
what should be done would be to APP
point committee of from five to seven.
Desultory discussion such as that Of
yesterday is valuable as giving express
sion to ideas, but when it comes to
actual practical laying out a espon-
sible committee formed pa y from
the Board of Health, partly ON Off
.cials, and partly from representative
citizens would be the most satisfactory
way of dealing with the problem.