Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-04-12
BY THEIR STREETS
THEY ARE known

Editor Evening Bullotin:-"The first
impression gained by stranger enter
ing a city is undoubtedly that produced
by the appearance Of its streets. If
they are poorly paved, Irregular, dirty
and generally unkept, he will consult
his time table to see how soon he can
get away. II they are broad, smooth.
clean, well shaded and lighted, he will
stay as long as possible"
The above is a quotation from pa
per written by the engineer of high
ways of large city in the United
States. 1t is therefore of weight In
| addition to the above. let me say that
| am fully convinced that the charac-
teristics Of the streets any city are the
characteristics Of its inhabitants. Mar
row streets indicate a narrow minded
people. Bad, unclean and unkept
streets indicate people whose mental
and moral condition is likewise. All
the above may not be absolute truth
but 1t is nearly so II the conditions are
persistent. Bearing this in mind, place
yourself at nine-tenths of the corners
and crossings OF our streets, rain or
shine. What do you see? Your are ia
miliar with the sight so II may not
strike you. as 1t does the stranger.
What do you suppose the stranger sees
who is not familiar with such. There
Is hope that we are not narrow and
dirty lot yet to the stranger 1t must
look so, and looks count
/ believe that men, women and chill.
dren have their mental, moral and re.
ligious natures lowered by such sur.
roundings. The public highway In
this tropical climate is our environ
ment for more hours Of the day and
night than the same would be where
there are extremes OF weather and TEN.
perature. It is an adult kindergarten
whose formative effect is undervalued
but must not be neglected when cor.
rect conclusions are desired. That
thinking human being who is content
with such conditions as may be OBJ.
served In the streets OF this city stands
charged with aiding and abetting the
unclean. There can be offered but one
excuse for prevailing conditions and
that is the old proverb What is every.
body's business is nobody's business.
This Is moralizing and moralizinG
never washed and cleaned small boy
or for that matter anything else.
Let us not find fault, for we are con'
tending with a condition" These
in day nor in year and the cost will
be great, but allow me to quote again
from the same authority as before:
bad streets are dear at any price and
only rich communities can afford
them" am quite sure that the cost OF
maintenance OF our streets in the pres
ent condition by matchmaking will BIZ
far more expensive than the best pave
, ment II the comparison be made dur
J ing a sufficient length OF time. Fol
example. the first cost and renewals
Matching and maintenance OF n con
stantly falling macadam street will
more than three times pay for a suit
able durable pavement during a periot
of twenty years. block for block, wher,
the traffic is heavy. Then the look
and comfort Of II.
And II looks and comfort do no
count then what OF all this desiring
having, scraping. adapting, etc. II
other walks OF life. Should you see
shoemaker half-shoeing shoes with ar
leather your first impression would b,
that he Is a fool or he might explain
that art leather was the only materia
at hand and that his customers neve
considered the matter and were willini
to pay for art leather soles, no differ
ence as to wear and tear.
As a background for scorched dra
gons and Indian heads, etc, art leathe
Is all right. II Is pretty, ornamental
and useful when cut into thongs anC
laces. like jerked beef aud worked aftel
ornamental designs. But for shoes 4