The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-10-11
ROAD MAKING
IN HONOLULU DISTRICT

The practical side of road building il
| the district of Honolulu was treated
on last night in an able paper before
the Hawaiian Engineering Association
by Colonel Sam Johnson, the Road Su-
pervisor of the district, who has beer
in charge of all the road work during
the past eight years. The paper drew
distinct line between the work of
road making in theory and in practise
explaining how his department had to
make the work fit the conditions, to
do all that was possible with the limit
ed amount of money at his disposal.
The Road Supervisor explained why
it is that during the past few months,
up to within the past week or two, a
seeming neglect of the roads in GER
tain parts of the city had been going
on and he also placed himself on rec
ord as being strongly in favor of the
cantonier system of the upkeep of ex-
listing roads.
The following extracts from the pa
per read show it's thoroughly practical
nature:
IDEALITY NOT POSSIBLE.
Opinions have been expressed, and
theoretical ideas written very extern
sively upon the subject of road build
ing, and if these ideas were practised
upon, Honolulu would have ideal roads,
such as bitumen, block pavements,
ETC., but not at any time has the
actual cost of road building been taken
up or mentioned, and an average cit
izen not knowing the cost of such
roads, and the amount in command
by the road department for the work,
reading these papers, or hearing these
theories, naturally wonders why they
are not carried out, but when the de-
partment has an average of 81, 900 at
its disposal per month (said amount
not to be overdrawn) for all running
expenses, such as payment of salaries,
purchasing materials and supplies.
ETC., and with the constant demand
to macadamize roads, which although
work as bitumen and other permanent
but costly pavements must be tempo
rarily set aside.
"a section of bitumen road Qess ex-
penSive than asphaltum, block pave
ment, etc.) on Queen street, between
Fort and Alakea streets, was built
three years ago at a cost of $2.65 per
square yard, and the next block was
macadamized at the same time, and is
still in very good condition, costing
but twenty-five cents per square yard.
GREATEST GOOD TO GREATEST
NUMBER.
'An argument very often heard is
that the work on permanent pave
ments should be carried on, little at a
time, but when you consider that 500
feet of bitumen pavement on Fort
street, between King and Hotel streets,
would cost $4,000, and for that same
amount you could macadamize 1000
feet of road, the question arises, Shall
the work on such roads as Kahauiki,
the waterfront and others now under
be forfeited for the 500
feet of bitumen road on Fort street?
Mention asphaltum, bitumen or
other costly pavements to a resident
Of the upper portion of Liliha street,
Young street beyond Punahou, and a |
few others in a similarly bad condi- |
ton, and he'll tell you, and very en- |
Dhatically at that, that while he can
lot get out of his house and cross the |
street without sinking into mud ankle |
ieep, he, as a taxpayer, will want his /
street macadamized first, and you'll |
tgree with him that until such roads
ire made passable, or the allowance
# the department increased so as to
How work of both kinds to be carried
n at the same time, bisumen and
Their costly pavements will be consid-
red luxuries.
,AHU EXPENDITURE VERY LOW.
I'm looking over the statistics for
asst year, I have failed to find one
tate in the Union where such a
mall amount of money is spent on the
pads as in the County of Oahu. Sew
raj States in the Union have adopted
state Aid Law, the principle being
nat where a road is built by the
ounty under the direction of the State
Dad Commission, the State pays one
1ird of the cost. That this law is
ecoming a popular one is shown by
lie number of States adopting it. At
resent there are twenty-five, and ten
ears ago there were only two-Massa-
nusetts and Connecticut.
'tAlI road work in Honolulu, such as
rading, macadamizing, repairing, etc,
done according to modern methods. {
nd the Honolulu Road Department is {
instantly in receipt of the very lat !
st books and magazines on road t
uilding, and any information or ideas !
lat can be practically applied are II
sua1ly adopted. All the facts men, {
oned in this paper are upheld by the t
cry best authorities on road build s
lg.
Comments are often passed on the
lumber of holes or depressions that a
ppear on largely-used streets, and I'M 7
lst criticisms are made that they are +
Ne to the foundation or poor con-
ruction, but the real fact is that they a
re due to the quality of material. e
'"There are six Quarries constantly t
applying material for use on the t