The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-02-02
CITIES THAT PROGRESS.

Honolulu are constantly counseling
delay in the matter Of municipal gov
ernment- There never was a public
Improvement made in any community
but some one counseled delay. In the
days following the civil war when the
States OF Kentucky and Ohio began
, building their splendid turnpikes
hundreds Of people who believed the
old ways were good enough. counseled
delay but the progressive people won
and after the turnpikes were con-
structed. the men who opposed them
would have been the first to oppose
their destruction.
In every growing town when prog
ressive men begin 10 talk about BULL
1 ing sewers and water works and paw
I ing streets and laying sidewalks there
are always a lot Of non-progressive
people 10 counsel delay. "Oh yo1
will bankrupt the town" you will
pile up taxes so high that no one will
come here and similar expressions
are heard on every side. That was
the way the mossbacks talked in Los
Angeles eleven years ago when the
progressive residents were wanting
bonds voted TO build sewers and pave
streets. But the progressive men won
despite the financial depression fol-
lowing the boom and the expenditure
Of public money for these purposes
did much TO rehabilitate the city and
start it on the road to prosperity
again. That Los Angeles did not lcSa
anything by issuing something like
81 600. 900 in bonds for sewers and
street paving. is shown by the increase
in population of the city from $4,000
in 1890. to $4,000 in 1900. There
were not six cities in the United
States that showed a gain of leo per
cent or over in the decennial period
from 1890 to 1900 and Los Angeles
was one of the number.
Following the great fire which ourn-
ed Seattle in June, 1890. many t:n.id
people said the town was ruined and
when progressive men wanted to take
advantage of the fire to straighten
and widen certain streets in the busi-
ness section they said such action
would not only bankrupt the city but
bankrupt every property owner in it.
But the progressive men won and Sc
attic is the most prosperous business
city on the Pacific coast and promises
to be serious rival of San Francisco
inside of twenty years.
1t was the same way in Chicago fol-
lowing the great conflagration of 1871
When Potter Palmer and Mr.. Honora
and few others wanted to widen
State and Madison streets and make
them the great arteries of the South !
and West Sides, there were slow
pokes to counsel delay. But these
progressive men carried the day and
within a very few years every one
saw that the widening of these streets
was almost providential in its effect
upon the metropolis of the west.
So it will be after municipal govern !
ment is established in Honolulu. /
Within two years the very men who
are counseling delay now. will ne
found declaring that they were always
in favor of municipal government for
Honolulu and tried 10 get it many
years ago. Honolulu is, as Judge Har-
rison of Minneapolis said. the worst
governed CITY in the United States for
the simple reason that it has no gov
eminent There is no head to the
city and no responsible person in au-
thority. Many Of the actions of the
Board of Health which have been 20
much criticised would not have occur
red had there been a municipal gov
eminent TO regulate affairs. ANY citl
zen who is aggrieved over police mai
administration has no redress. The
Chief is not answerable to Mayor
or to any one chosen by the people.
He is answerable to himself and TO the
Governor. an executive Of the Terri
tory appointed by the President and
who is far removed from the people
What Honolulu needs is municipal
government in which the people shall
choose their local rulers with power
10 turn them out at the end Of two
years il not satisfactory and then this
city could make many improvements
got now possible. No CITY can pro-
gress that refuses TO keep step with the
march Of events and Honolulu can not
progress If she determines to remain
in medieval state of absolutism. fr-
stead of getting into line with mod
ern thought and advancement