The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-03-14
(Conclusion.)
PARKS.

PARKS
The first thought in considering the
5eautifying of the city is its topogra-
phy- In this respect Honolulu is not
| without advantages and advantages
which in many cases have not been
fully improved. AS a seaport town with
NILS near by. We have a rare opportun-
Ivy TO make the city beautiful. That
we nave improved it scantily you know
100 Wen. L have not yet gotten over
the unpleasant effect that Honolulus
Mucous harbor and waterfront left
upon my mind upon my first landing.
true. the disgraceful Oceanic shed has
since been repaired, but that is only
snort step. The whole waterfront
should be made place of beauty with
out interfering with its business utility
py some such methods as have been
USED by the u. S. Government author
tiles at the Naval Station. Boston has
reserved i've miles of waterfrontage
Tor purposes of beauty and recreation.
Mr. Frederick Law OiTnsted. IN = re-
port to the Boston Park Board. show
ed how great an Improvement to Bos-
ton harbor could be made by the wood
the headlands and how this could be
done by an expenditure of Sc, coo a year
for five years. One of the most inter-
esting and profitable experiments in
this development of a waterfront is the
one at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Here
the low banks have been filed and re-
claimed and beautifed throughout al /
most the entire course of the river
I he TitI
virtually regained. at a nominal cost,
which includes only purchase price of
the original strip of land and the labor.
hundreds of acres of the most desirable
park land. Along this river bank are
an esplanade, drive and promenade,
and two Fairgrounds with bathing
beaches all under public control and
ownership. The financial aspect of the
enterprise is also attractive, for the
increased taxes upon merely the first
piece of improved property abutting
upon the esplanade were more than
enough to pay the whole interest and
sinking fund charges for the entire
park work on the riverfront Chicago
has on foot a gigantic scheme for the
redemption of the city in the matter
of parks. In two years she has added
over 1000 acres to her park acreage.
Indianapolis, Louisville, Cleveland and
Kansas City have parks of from 1000
to 1000 acres. New York has it's Bat
terry for health and beauty. In Charles
ton, S. c., there is battery walk along
the bay, Newport has its famous Cliff
walk; Portland, has an attractive es-
planade. Detroit has Belle Isle Park,
st. Paul has recreative park on Har-
riet Isle and a semi-circular boulevard
system between the rivers in prospect.
With sea in front and the hills be-
hind, Honolulu is admirably situated
for an easy and an inexpensive park
system that Will give beauty to the city
and recreation to it's people. The pres
ent bill which is now before the Legis-
Iature suggests that certain lands. be
declared to be AID be set aside as
public parks" The Legislature is not
able to require that lands be reserved
from sale. That could only be done :
through congress and the organic act.
All that can be done is to set these
lands aside and rely upon the moral
obligation thus placed upon the Su- =,
Derintendent of Public Works not to
sell any portion of them and not to
convert any parts of them into gravel
pit to mar and scar. :
Provision is made as you know for
l park on Tantalus. 1t is to include
he land above the road beginning at
he trail leading up Tantalus near the
saddle back and extending practically
across the ridge except such land as ]
$ now owned by individuals. This {
would be something like $50 acres. The
suggestion has been made that the land S
IN the Pauoa side of Tantalus be con-
iemned and the Park made to include S
he top of TantaIus. This would give q
he advantage of not including so much G
If the little land now available for S
private homes. T
Punchbowl is to be reserved for 200 {
'eet down the slopes. This assures a
breathing space and the pre- c
,ention of any defacing or soaring of /
he slopes. c
At Waikiki two sections of land sep 6
rated by the land of the Castle estate
re set aside. There are outstanding +
eases on this for fifteen years so that I
here can be no immediate realization c
IN this. But the idea commends itself ,,
o everyone. There is no place where
he public may battle in the sea COM
ortabIy and freely. This is crying !
hame for the poor of the city and