The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-19
OBSTRUCTION TO THOUSANDS.

OF the several street DISTINCTIONS
which are in daily evidence, and which
cause continual comment on the part
of the people who use the streets the
very first in Importance, without doubt,
is The stone wall at Hotel and Richards
streets. This Is the most obnoxious to
the people, in that it's effect is felt not
only Immediately, by those who pass
the wall and are reminded of it by It's
proximity to the electric cars, but as
well by every passenger on the entire
line OF the Rapid Transit.
The fact is that the wall is so close as
to endanger any one who wishes to
observe what is going on on the mauIa
side of the street, which might make
1t necessary to put ones head beyond
the line of the car, and the tendency
to look at danger. and thus run into it,
is inherent in man. So 1t was that for
the first few days of the operation of
the Rapid Transit line the cars were
run slowly and the conductors shouted
the familiar warning. But it was seen
that this only served to call attention
to the fact that there was a danger.
and boys, and not a few larger chill
dren, would, upon the shout of warning,
Immediately put themselves in the dan
ger against which they had been eau
toned.
This meant something nerve-racking
to the conductors and those passengers
who know that they have such ap-
pendages, and so 1t was that the man
ager of the company simply shut up the
side OF the car, which is next the wall.
The immediate result of this was to
minimize the danger which was await
Ing the people who use the cars. But
the effect was far reaching. There is
a growing demand upon tie cars of the
line. Between 1000 and 5000 people
daily ride upon them, going to and from
their homes and their business or pleas
ures, In this climate, at even this time
of the year, 1t is good to have the free
circulation of the air. But the safety
of the people who use the cars, is the
first consideration with any transpor-
tation company.
Another and even more important
matter is that the shutting up of the
cars causes the using of only one side
of the car for the purpose of entering
or leaving it, or the 5000 people who
rue III me cars IITSe-LOuTlnS pass Iile'
stone wall OF that 5000 not less than
half find themselves forced to wait, to
scramble over some one in getting to
a seat, or to hold the car fractional
space OF time, while they get into it at
the ends, instead of being able to util-
lie the running boards, which were
placed along the sides for the conven-
fence of the passengers, for the windows
are not opened during the entire trip.
This Inconvenience Is not passing, but is
recurring, it touches some one every
minute of the day. and all because there
is a dead point somewhere in the mat
ter OF the adjustment of a claim.
It cannot be that there is no law,
though it may be that there is no rea-
son. Along side the offending wall
there is a space which has been cut
down to the required street width. Fur
Their down the street there are lots
which have been set back to the estab-
lished line Along Beretanla street
there were valuable slices taken from
homes, trees which had stood for
generation were ruthlessly laid low.
Houses were removed, and the letter of
the law was followed. In the case of
the now noted or notorious wall, there
can be little excuse for the continuance
of such a public nuisance, and it seems
time for the proper authorities to give
to the passengers relief from the pres
enee of the offending rockwork.