Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-02-11

The committee OF the NaIonHI
House Of Representatives having in
charge the naval appropriations Of
the country has failed to insert the
item that will allow work to begin
for the development of Pearl Harbor
as a naval base.
We have no means of knowing
what swayed the committee in its
most unfortunate decision. 1t may
be there is on foot a proposal to have
this work-of opening the channel of
the harbor-done under the rivers
and harbors appropriation. It is pos
sible that the Naval Committee is in
different to the needs of the country
and the value of Pearl Harbor as a
naval base.
The general impression prevails
that the refusal to recommend the
Pearl Harbor appropriation is due to
a demand for economy on the part or
the legislating authority of the rich
est nation in the world.
The Bulletin is not one OF the
war-scare tribe The Bullet n
does not pretend to fathom some OF
the wisdom shown in the anxiety or
the Congress of a billion-dollar coun-
try to save few dollars in time of
peace and spend millions for tardy
preparation in time of threatened
war.
But the Bulletin Goes know
that the time will come when the
policy of delaying the development
of Pearl Harbor will come under the
head Of the national criminal ncgli-
gence-unIess the United States Con
gress changes its ways.
When public-serviCe corporation
conducting street or steam railway
fails-on account Of n policy of
econOmy''-to equip its lines with
the ordinary safeguards to protect
life and property great disaster Is
followed by the universal verdict OF
criminal negligence.
When a great mining corporation
fails to buttress its tunnels, and have
o decent regard for the lives of its
workmen, deadly cave-in resulting
from a policy of saving the cost of "A
few extra timbers, Is properly put
down as the product of criminal neg
llgence
The man or the corporation that
refuses to spend u comparatively few
dollars for insurance when vast inter-
ests of life and property are at stake,
finds that the common-sense men OF
the present day put such folly as
either in the list of fragile headed
idiOcy or with the criminally negli-
gence.
Should the public-servlce corpora
tlon, or the mining corporation, or
the man, or the business that ought
to be insured against disaster, put
forward the claim that there is NO
particular hurry, that nothing
threatens now, so it will be time
enough to act when the car runs wild
or the tunnel caves in, or the house
burns down,-should that be the sun
and substance of their worldly wis
uom, they would individually and col
lectively be put down as fools-Ol
worse.
Then what Is the difference be
tween these improvident, careless
criminally negligent individuals arC
corporations, and the nation whos'
Legislators refuse TO provide the fund
for the protection of the country?
Immediate threat of war does no
call for the preparation of Pearl Har
Dor. II war were threatened in iii,
next twelve months the United State
Government could no more nav'
Pearl Harbor in condition to promote
the defense of these Islands and tn,
Pacific Coast than 1t could build tn,
Panama Canal in a week.
Five years at the very least mus
be required to have scratch of i'm
provement on Pearl Harbor that viii
be of practical use. And what Con
gresham is there who can stand II
his place and, with absolute assur
ance, say that the United States will
not need Pearl Harbor within tina
period? There are no serious war
clouds in the sky. But has an
statesman in Washington guaran
tee that there will be none coming?
It is not pleasant to recall unhapp
experiences of the past. But Hawai-
has had experiences, possibly NOR