The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-15
PROGRESS.

superintendent McCandleSS made
hard fight to have Chinatown rebuilt
of brick, and has proposed new fire
limits within which no wooden shanties
should go up, but it does not seem as
IL Mr.. McCandless' plans were accept
able and he has to i've in to the in
evitabe and issue permits for the cree
ton of wooden buildings, which are
now springing up like mushrooms.
The Legislature by it's inaction has
thus done a serious wrong to the city.
The present fire limits are very re-
stricted. MIR. McCandless proposition
is to extend them to the Nuuanu
stream, east bank, from the water
front to eighty feet mauka of Bereta-
mia street. along to eighty feet east of
Richard street, and then following
eighty feet east of Punchbowl streets
sinuosities, back to the water front.
This would give fine area, and a nee
essary one. 1t is nearly double of the
old fire limits and even as it is might
be more extended with material ad-
vantage to the city.
The objection to this extension seems
to be based on the leases made by Ha-
waiians to Asiatics and others. These
leases are for short terms and the Chi
nese and Japanese who have them
threaten to throw them up if they are
forced to build in brick. But granted
that these leases should be thrown up,
it is all in favor of the Hawaiian land
holder. Ground leases under the new
&c l,,
more valuable than under the present
fire limits People will lease land for
buildings at a much higher rate if they
know that all surrounding lands have
TO have fire proof buildings upon them,
than if they know that their building
is TO be surrounded by fire trap shacks.
Again at the end of the lease a wood
en- house. completely out of repair, is
turned over to the owner of the land.
1t takes probably three years rent to
put it into repair and make it a rent
able property. If a brick building had
been erected, it would only require a
few months rent to put it into proper
condition to rent again. In the one
case the landlord gets tangible proper
~ ~ NiiN OSAASA hC 6CbS al pIOp-
erty.
The Legislature hesitates over this
matter to the detriment of Hawaiian
land holders. The large estates like the
Bishop estate and others can look
after themselves, and one does not care
very much whether they are helped or
not. But it is the small land holder
whom one wants to see helped. 1t is
a purely economic proposition. There
is the chance of much increasing the
ground rents, for the number wooden
ing a valuable building at the end of a
term of years, instead of having
worthless shed. 1t only requires action
upon the part of the Legislative body.
The longer the legislative body hest
tates, the less will be the value of the
ground rents, for the more wooden
shacks that are erected, will cause a
distinct increase in insurance rates,
and keep away builders who would
otherwise put more money into their
property.
What we want is progress. What
the Legislature talks of wanting is
progress. But it does not square it's
conduct with it's speech. 1t is probable
that one reason for the Legislative in
action upon this point, is that it con-
siders these questions ought to be set
tied not by the general Legislature,
but by he county governments. But
we have not got IT, county govern
ments yet. We have not even receiv-
ed and had put before Us the plans for
the county governments. They no
doubt will be excellent 80 This way, and
will enable citizens ~ control their
local affairs, but meanwhile the said
local affairs are going all wrong, and
in spite of everything that the Super
intendent of Public Works can do, the
mushroom growth in the old China
town is going forward as rapidly as
the growth of vegetation is described
by Wells in his new moon story.
The Legislature is not dealing fairly
with the people. 1t is keeping back
legislation which should be pushed for
ward. Important measures, which we
all had every reason to believe would
be brought straight forward are kept
back. Meantime property holders are
being tangibly injured by this naction,
and this is made distinctly clear over
the matter of the fire limits.