The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-23
BOARD OF
PUBLIC WORKS
A Writer Condemns the Toll
Grafton of Insanitary
Conditions.

Editor Advertiser: While passing sem
tence on the official shortcomings of the
Board of Health. it may be remembered
how much they are hampered in their
effort to achieve sanitary conditions by
the inertia of the Board of Public Works.
The Board of Health are the trustees
and guardians of the peoples health, as
the Board of Public Works are the trus-
tees of the peoples treasure, effective
and beautiful streets, boulevards and
parks The Board of Public Works are
charged with the duty not only of max
ing different points of interest within
and about the City effectively accessible,
but of providing broad, well-graded
streets through properly prepared areas
for homes. 1t is not for one moment TO
be supposed that the multiplication OF I'M
proved rock crushers can assuage OF NIT
igate the burden of inconvenience, con-
gestion or differentiation now sustained
along the lines of narrow passageways,
| the relics of a past dispensation, when
! are with too few exceptions the substi-
tute for streets in Honolulu.
A due regard for the high purpose OF
the Department of Public Works, as Wei
as a due regard for an economical fulfil
n1ent of that purpose, prohibits piece
meal, unrelated, hand-to- mouth work in
their domain, precisely as it prohibits
painless and disconnected work in any
large purpose.
Honolulu is entering upon an era of
Immense growth. Just now is the time
for that intelligent foresight which fore
stalls double expenditure. To proceed to
pave roads or streets without a compre-
hensive survey of their relation to pres
emit and future needs will plainly result
in double expenditure or else the sacri-
fee of that symmetry and beauty in the
streets which the people have a right to
no uiSin n
and far-seeing plans for the Citys pres
. ent and future needs is for the Board OF
Public Works the most necessary, ardu'
Gus and responsible labor which they
are called upon to perform.
Every area of tumble-down, ill-smell
ing overcrowded, ramshackle dwelling:
in the City cries out against the Boart
of Public Works and the Board of Health
as a clean City with low death-rate
with a decreasing scale of infectious AM
}. contagious diseases, with beaut1fui
:. broad well-paved streets of sanltar.
: homes, is tie highest tribute to ehclen
service in these departments. The loot
hold which the most dread diseases o
the world have here makes imperativ
the most scrupulous regard to SAM ar
conditions
1t mar lie no disgrace to be leper; bu
lit IS a lasting reproach to any city, ]
the face of the presence of loathsom
diseases. to tolerate sanitary condition
which furnish fertile soil for their Inee[
ton growth and transmission. No cit
in this nineteenth century can procee
or such lines and retain the respect {
the civilized world. Cleanliness IS ne1
, to Goodness"
The chief argument for municipal O.
ganISation in Honolulu is the failure
the Territorial officials to apply funds ar
energetic methods to the upbuildng Ar
e. renovation of the City. If Honoiu
were a municipality she would hay
funds.
When the taxpayer figures out for hin
Id self what these costly epidemics mes
to him, his property and his City,
may decide that the same amount