The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-26
.SOtONS ARE
NOW BUSY
Continued from. Page u

| lie Works to the terms of the Rapid
Transit Company's charter, relative to-
the width of road outside of the rails
to be constructed and maintained in re-
! pair by the railway company If the
( Road Bureau of the Government is going
/ to pursue this policy of rebuilding the
| streets in the wake of the Rapid Tran
| sit construction, then your committee
! feels that a charge should be made
against the Rapid Transit Company for
! their due proportion of the material la
Dor and other incidentals in the expense
| of such road making, as was contemplat-
| ed by their franchise.
| The obstruction of the streets and side
walks of the City, which forms one
of the most serious and pernicious OBJ
structions to business, lies in the prac-
tice, permitted by law, by which for
| long periods of time the roads or side
walks of the City are obstructed by solid
board fences, enclosing areas within
which building operations are going for
! ward. This is an Anticipated system,
which, coupled with the narrowness of
the streets of our City, make it an un-
bearable nuisance. The practice else
where is to erect substantial structure
over the sidewalk, open on the street
side and covered with sufficiently strong
timberS to prevent debris from above
dropping to the sidewalks, and thus
safeguarding the lives of foot passengers
without unnecessary obstruction of either
sidewalk or street. Your committee,
while recognizing this is outside of our
explicit instructions and the subject mat
ter, as set forth by the resolutions, feels
that this occasion to call attention to
this form of nuisance should not be
passed.
Your committee found that in Hotel
street, between Nuuanu and Fort streets,
there was existing condition of things
which would be just cause for the pas
sage of the resolution, under which this
| inquiry was made.
| First. That the Rapid Transit Company
be made to conform strictly with the
terms of its franchise in the construction
of its roadbed.
! Second. That the Rapid Transit Com
| pany be compelled to pay its proportion
ate share for street improvements as
contemplated by the franchise to be per-
formed by them, and which may be per-
! formed by the Government
| Third That in harmony with that por-
| ton of our report relating to the use of
| streets for building purposes, We recon-
mend the repeal of section 342 of the Pc
nal Code and that the Superintendent of
| Public Works issue permits on the lines
| of this report.
| 1 agree with the recommendation with
| WHICH lHe Oh the COInl1lCl6e con-
cludes. But 1 do not find that in laying
its tracks on Hotel street the Rapid
Transit Company has violated the provf-
sion against obstructing more than one
block at time. The fact that the sur
face of the street is below the level of
the tracks which are laid to the official
grade, is not the fault of the company.
In regard to the company's paying the
Government for macadamizing the strip
| eli nj no fra LS nv
law to be done by the company, it ap-
pears that arrangements are now being
made between the Road Bureau and the
company which will effect the result de-
sired by the committee.
A. G. NJ ROBERTSON.
The Public Lands Committee report on
the extension of the fire limits was Ia
bled for consideration with Makainafs
bin to remove the lumber yards outside
the fire limits. The committee recon-
mended this procedure. stating that they
considered the extension of the fire limits
meant only the extension of he lumber
storing limits.
Robertson called the report a bluff and
moved its rejection as there were at least
three lumber yards now outside the fire
limits.
| Dickey charged the members Of the
House with having friends owning land
in the burned districts which brought in
fat returns from the Chinese tenants.
No replies were made to the implied ac-
cusation.
The report on House bill 103 regulating
plumbing, favored that the bill pass with
slight amendments as a preventive
against repetition of last years cpl
demic.
A bill from the Board of Health, draft
ed by the Attorney General, was refer
red back to the Public Health Committee.
The same committee dealt with House
bill Ill, to compensate Antoine Serrao for
damages incurred in the late plague
through his wife's demise, supposedly
from plague. The committee Thought
that the House had no right to interfere
with the Court of Claims in such mat
ter. The report was tabled.
Gilfillan's report on the liquor business
was as follows:
THE LIQUOR REPORT.
Hon. J. a Akina, Speaker OF the House
of Representatives.
Sir: Your special committee, appointed
to investigate abuses in the granting of
liquor licenses throughout the Territory.
after hearing evidence and carefully con-
sidering all conditions, begs leave to re-
port as follows:
| Evidences of gross abuses of power, of
disregard Of the rights of the people, of
fragrant irregularities. If no worse, in
the granting of licenses, and what may
be termed subserviency to the wishes Of
the wholesale interests, as against the
small dealer all shown in the evidence
taken and which Is submitted herewith,
appear to your committee to call for
comment and to suggest remedial legis-
lation at this time.
It is to be noted that while under one
head the policy of the department inter-
ested in the licensing of the liquor traf-
fic may be strongly marked, again when
there comes to the front another man,
the policy is changed without seeming
reason in law, though it is well known
that all the while the real power behind
action remains the same. Inconsistency
marks each transaction as told in the
testimony before your commil,ee. The
range is from a declaration of one Min
lister that he would resign before he
would grant license for a certain place
On Fort street to the yielding of another
license within the next block east. In
addition, the granting a restricted IL
| tn ono man and during ha term