The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-02-14

was abundance OF opportunity LOT use,
| the whole method was very crude and
does not appeal to the sentiments of
Anglo-Saxons, certainly, on those mat
| tiers.
In London there are plenty of such
stations, generally located below the
street. stairs from the sidewalk, or
sometimes from the middle of the
road, having the single word men, or
women, indicating the different COM
partments below the street. In these
places, as general thing, an attend
ant is stationed who, for small con-
sideration, supplies towel for wash
ing, for instance, and provides lava
tory conveniences, the amount of as
sistance required fixing the cost, say
from one to three pence.
In New York such stations are
placed, as a rule, in the parks; and in
a very few of them attendants are on
hand, who provide various necessar ies
for the consideration of from one cent
to five.
In Boston about the same system
prevails, and the same is true of
number of other cities in the United
States; while a still larger number
provide the conveniences, but without
any attendance.
1T is said that in those cities where
the attendance is constant and care
fully rendered, the expenses are more
than paid by the amount received
'.The committee of the Civic Fedora
ton having this matter in charge will
be more than glad to render any as
sistance to yourself or to such com
mittee as you may appoint to attend
to this matter: and will you allow us
TO again respectfully urge that it is
a matter which should not be deferred
any longer, and, if properly carried
out and conveniences arranged on
small plots of land belonging to the
government, which would no doubt be
furnished very gladly, we do not think
that there would be anything prohibi
tive in the necessary expense
eff committee is appointed, you
may wish a duplicate of this letter, and
I therefore enclose herewith one du-
plicate of this letter. Very respect
fully yours,
wv. R. CASTLE,
Secretary, subcommittee on Educa-
ton, Charities and Public Health.
A copy of this letter was sent by
that subcommittee to the Governor,
under the same date of February Sth
inst.
l do not believe that it is advisable
for us at the present time to recon-
mend the establishment of stations at
which "a charge should be made. If
We had a copper currency in this
community, so that a charge, say, of
one cent could be made, it would fur
nish fund which would very much
facilitate the proper care of such> sta
lions and justify affording better facil-
tiles. But even without such fund
it would seem to be very desirable that
a few stations be established and an
effort be made to secure donations
from time to time from the public,
which would meet the small expense
of maintaining the stations in good
sanitary condition.
1t is a mistake to believe that such
stations are only used by travellers or
transient visitors. The city of Wash
ington, D. c., has a population of
about 275,000 and in the edition of a
publication called Charities" under
date of January IS, 1908, the following
statement is made:
some interesting statistics are pub
lished regarding the two public COM
fort stations opened in Washington
last April They are said to be the
models of their kind in America. They
have been used by as many as 175,00O
persons in a month. They have served
ass many as 10.0O0ain a day, and nor
mally serve from five to six thousand
a day-which is good enough answer
to the plea that the American people
would not use such conveniences. In /
Washington, in fact the crowd is /
more largely American than in most |
cities. 1t is found that if charge of
one cent We're made for admission, as /
in some European cities, the present |
attendance would give with only these |
two stations a clear profit over all ex-
penses of $1,000 a month. AS it is, the |
net cost-after providing free liquid |
soaps a quarter. of one per cent per
persona cost that would seem to be
justified"
From many points of consideration
it seems important that attention be
given to this subject, and steps be
promptly taken to meet this public
need.
R. S. Hosmer, w. o. Smith and Gen
eral Davis were named a committee to
confer with the committee of the Civic
Federation with regard to the above
communication.
A CATTLE NUISANCE.
L. C. Ables spoke of the nuisance
created by cattle passing along Wilder
avenue. The cows, and there were a
number of them, were driven back and