The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-03-13
STREET CONSTRUCTION.

ITnfavorabIe comment on Honolulu
sidewalks was heard at a recent meet
ing of the Merchants Association Yet
since Honolulu began in earnest 10
grow modern, it's sidewalks have I'M
proved vastly more than its street con-
struction. A town of 10000 inhabitants
without a single paved street is per-
haps unique in Occidental civilization.
Some months ago Queen street, the
principal thoroughfare paralleling the
waterfront. was paved in part OF It's
length with bitumen as an experiment
but outside of occasional discussion IN
official reports a systematic scheme OF
street-paving for the business part Oh
Honolulu is never definitely given the
public to consider. Not that the sub
ject has not often been preached oy
the newspapers, but to the desultory
press agitation there has never been
any response worth mentioning in
meetings of business organizations,
political conventions or the Legisla-
ture.
There is nothing more important to
the city-taking it with regard TO
either economy, sanitation or attrac-
tiveness-than this matter of properly
constructed streets. 1t can hardly be
doubted that the expense of the fire.
uuent reconstruction of our macadam-
lied streets, made necessary from their
speedy wearing under heavy traffic,
would more than pay the interest on
the initial cost of various kinds OF
standard pavement many times more
durable than macadam. The best is
the cheapest in streets as in other
things.
Our streets are muddy in wet wealth
er and source of dust in dry, either
condition being injurious to the public
health, not to mention the public COM
fort. Here again an economical reason
for advancement applies. Both the
mud and the dust are damaging to
property of many kinds. To prevent |
injury to merchandise, as well as avoid |
personal discomfort, a great expense |
of street sprinkIing is incurred. The |
sprinkling of itself is a nuisance and |
medical men say it creates miasmatic |
atmosphere. Paved streets are capable |
of being washed under strong hose
pressure without receiving. damage, |
but macadamized streets would only |
be reduced to mire by the application
of less powerful streams than would
destroy their surfacing.
Given cleanliness and durability, |
added to smoothness of surface, and
the element of attractiveness of our /
streets is achieved. One of the first
things visitor will select, as critic
rion on which to form an opinion of
the town, is the kind of streets it pos
sesses-their structure, quality and
condition. A great deal of money and /
energy is being expended by our COM
mercial bodies, with some aid of public |
subsidy, to attract tourists and per-
manent residents. This is well, but |
the whole people should realize that |
the more agreeable the conditions they |
create for themselves, the more at !
tractive will they make the country to |
the view of outsiders. Honolulu, as |
the gate by which most visitors enter !
Hawaii, ought to aim at nothing short |
of being a model city. To become any |
thing like an ideal metropolis it must |
discard the standard of country roads !
in the construction of it's principal
thoroughfares.